5 Card Omaha Best Starting Hands
Once you have studied Omaha Hi-Lo Poker Rules, the next step is to learn Omaha hi-lo hand rankings. In Omaha hi-lo, the pot is divided evenly between the high hand and the low hand.
The high hand ranking is similar to Texas Holdem and Omaha. Keep in mind that the ranking reflects how rare it is to form a hand. Let’s take a look at all the high hand rankings.
A A K K is the best Omaha starting hand, but right next to it is, surprisingly, A A J T as it has much more straight potential than the third-best hand, A A Q Q. Almost all the top 30 hands from our chart have at least one strong pair in them: either A A, K K, Q Q or J J. Poker Starting Hands - Comprehensive guide to which poker hands you should play, including a 2021 Texas Hold'em poker starting hands chart.
High Hand Rankings (ordered by increasing value)
| Hand | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 10. High card | Unrelated and unpaired cards | |
| 9. One pair | Two cards of the same rank | |
| 8. Two pair | Two different pairs | |
| 7. Three of a kind (or set) | Three cards of the same rank | |
| 6. Straight | Five consecutive cards | |
| 5. Flush | All cards of the same suit | |
| 4. Full house | Three of a kind with a pair | |
| 3. Four of a kind (or quads) | Four cards of the same rank | |
| 2. Straight flush | Five consecutive cards, all of the same suit | |
| 1. Royal flush | Ace-High Straight Flush |
Low and the Eight or Better Qualifier
Not all hands qualify for the low. Furthermore, if no player makes a low hand, the high wins the entire pot. A valid low hand consists of five different cards, so no pair, ranked eight or lower, with the ace counting as the lowest card. Straights and flushes are ignored, so the following hands are valid low hands.
What Are The Best Starting Hands In Omaha
Hands that contain any pair or any card nine to king do not qualify for the low. So the following hands do not count as low.
Low Hand Rankings
In a low hand, the lower the card denominations are, the stronger the hand is. Low hands are evaluated, starting from the highest rank card (remember, the ace counts as the lowest), in a top-down approach. The player with the lowest card from the top wins. If the cards are even, the second card from the top is taken into account, and so on.
For example, consider that Player A has 8♥5♠4♣3♥2♥, and Player B has 8♥6♠4♣2♥A♣. To determine who has the best low, we first compare the first cards starting from the top. As they both have an eight, the second card from the top is examined. Player A has the smallest, the five, so he wins. Let’s take a look at some examples.
Low Hand Examples (ordered by increasing value)
| Example | Name |
|---|---|
| Worse qualifying low | |
| Eight high low | |
| Seven high low | |
| Seven high low | |
| Six high low | |
| Six high low | |
| The wheel, best possible low! |
Best Hands In 5 Card Omaha
Do you have any questions about Omaha hi-lo starting hands? Or more tips to add to this post? Let us know in the comments section below!