PokerXL.com - Poker Low Hand Rankings for games like Omaha H/L (8oB) or Stud H/L

Poker Low Hand Rankings

In games such as Stud H/L or Omaha H/L (Omaha 8oB) there is a potential win for a low hand. Here are the hands, from best (a wheel - 5 4 3 2 A) to worst. A qualifying low hand is defined as five cards between A and 8 with no pairs, trips or four of a kind. For example 8 7 4 3 2 is a low hand 6 5 4 4 4 is not. Ace is always low in a low hand.

In the chart below the suits are not relevant and the hands count even if they are not all the same suit. The hands highlighted in blue also qualify as a high hand (straight).

The important point of this chart is to show the different combinations possible, it is not essential that you memorize this chart, it is far more important that you understand it. Note the progression from one hand to the next and understand how low hands work.

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5 4 3 2 A
6 4 3 2 A
6 5 3 2 A
6 5 4 2 A
6 5 4 3 A
6 5 4 3 2
7 4 3 2 A
7 5 4 2 A
7 5 4 3 A
7 5 4 3 2
7 6 3 2 A
7 6 4 2 A
7 6 4 3 A
7 6 4 3 2
7 6 5 2 A
7 6 5 3 A
7 6 5 3 2
7 6 5 4 A
7 6 5 4 2
7 6 5 4 3
8 4 3 2 A
8 5 3 2 A
8 5 4 2 A
8 5 4 3 2
8 6 3 2 A
8 6 4 2 A
8 6 4 3 A
8 6 4 3 2
8 6 5 2 A
8 6 5 3 A
8 6 5 3 2
8 6 5 4 A
8 6 5 4 2
8 6 5 4 3
8 7 3 2 A
8 7 4 2 A
8 7 4 3 A
8 7 4 3 2
8 7 5 2 A
8 7 5 3 A
8 7 5 3 2
8 7 5 4 A
8 7 5 4 2
8 7 5 4 3
8 7 6 2 A
8 7 6 3 A
8 7 6 3 2
8 7 6 4 A
8 7 6 4 2
8 7 6 4 A
8 7 6 4 2
8 7 6 5 A
8 7 6 5 2
8 7 6 5 3
8 7 6 5 4

As you can see there are fifty six different low poker hand combinations, so it is easy to understand why a beginner might become confused or how it is sometimes hard to know exactly when your low hand might be beaten. It is more important not necessarily to memorize the order of these low poker hands but more to understand the progression from one hand to the next so you can figure out in your head how good the hand you are holding is.

Another observation you might make from the chart above is how many of the hands contain A 2: Twenty out of fifty six possibilities is not bad. If you hold A 2 in the hole you are in a good position to get a good low hand.

TIP: Omaha is the most popular form of poker that uses the low hand concept, click here to find books on the subject. Just remember when you are playing H/L Omaha that you play only two of your cards and always two of your four hole cards. This is true of low hands as well as high. If you hold A 2 3 4 and the flop is 5 K K you do not have any low hand at all. The best low hand you have is A 2 5 K K (which does not count as a low hand) and if you don't get another two low cards eight or less you will never hit a qualifying low hand. In fact if the turn is 9 or higher you cannot make a low hand on the river. It is only possible to make a low hand in Omaha H/L if there are three different cards eight or less on the board. For this reason if by the turn in Omaha H/L you do not see three cards eight or less on the board you know you are competing only for a high pot with regular poker hands. You need to have the best high hand to win (or make all other players fold). For more information on Omaha H/L click here.

ZCT