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Figuring Out the Low
After playing poker for even a short time you may
notice a series of Hi-Lo games. Hi-Lo versions of any game are games
where the best hand takes only half the pot, and the worst hand takes
the other half. The two most common forms of Hi-Lo are Omaha Hi-Lo and
7 card stud Hi-Lo. In both these games the rules are exactly the same
as their normal forms, except now the pot is split whenever a low hand
is available. In the most common versions of these games that means any
five cards that do not make a pair, and have a worse value than a high
card of nine (meaning the highest card in the hand can be an 8).
Why split the pot? Well by having games where both
good and bad hands can win, the number of cards that help someone at the
table increases, and so does the action. Hi-Lo games can lead to a lot
of betting, a lot of random hands being played, and add a fun wrinkle
into any poker game. Many pros also swear these as the easiest games to
build up a bank roll once you learn how to play them well, since so many
players don’t.
There are two main methods in use for figuring out
how to rank low hands. One way is called the “deuce to seven” method
(also nicknamed the “Kansas City” method). If the deuce to seven method
is being used, then the aces only count as high cards, not low, and
straights and flushes do count as high hands. The lowest hand possible
using the Kansas City rules is 75432. This is the less common of the
two methods, and the least popular as it makes it much more difficult to
make a low hand.
The most common way is to count an ace as a low, so
it counts as a one, and to ignore straights and flushes. In this way, a
5432A hand is the lowest possible. This is by far and away the most
common use of cards for low games. The other thing to be aware of is
where each game caps its low. Many games only allow cards of eight or
lower, which is why sometimes you may also see Omaha Hi-Lo referred to
as Omaha 8 Hi-Lo. This means any hand that would beat a high card of
eight is not eligible for the low part of the pot.
These games can seem very confusing at first, and
they take time to learn. Don’t be afraid to watch games, or if at a
casino, ask a dealer for assistance if you find yourself confused. The
most important part of playing these games are understanding how to find
the low.
REMEMBER: Count the low from the highest card down,
not lowest up. For example: A2345 should actually be read 5432A for the
low. The other way is to remember the sequence as a number. So 87652
would read 87,652. The lowest number wins. That is why 86432 would
beat 8732A(1) because 86,432 is smaller than 87,321. This is the part
that can throw off many novices, so remember to practice, and good luck
at the tables!
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