Omaha Hi-Lo

The second most popular variation of poker behind Texas holdem is Omaha/8. Often called Omaha high / low or Omaha high / low split, it is played exactly like Omaha high except that the final pot is often split between the high and the low hand. This can be very confusing to new players so here are the basic rules and playing sequence.

The second most popular variation of poker behind Texas holdem is Omaha/8. Often called Omaha high / low or Omaha high / low split, it is played exactly like Omaha high except that the final pot is often split between the high and the low hand. This can be very confusing to new players so here are the basic rules and playing sequence.

Played with 2 to 10 players, one player is chosen as the dealer or button to begin the game. The player to the dealers left places the small blind and the next player places the big blind. The big blind is equal to the lower betting limit and the small blind is half the big blind. So in a 10/20 game, the small blind is 5 and the big blind is 10. Each player receives four hole cards face down and the first round of betting starts to the left of the big blind. Then the flop, three community cards, is placed in the center of the table and the second betting round starts to the left of the dealer. The turn, or fourth community card, is placed in the middle and the third betting round, which is double the first two rounds, starts. Finally the fifth community card, or river, is placed in the center and the final betting round starts. After the final betting round is completed, each remaining player shows their hole cards and the pot is awarded.

In Omaha Hi-Lo, the pot is often split between the best high hand and the best low hand. Just like Omaha high, each player must use exactly two of their hole cards to form their best high hand, but they must also use exactly two hole cards to form their best low hand. They do not have to use the same two cards to form the high and low hand. The low hand has a qualifier of 8 or better. This means that for a player to have a hand that qualifies for the low half of the pot they must have five unpaired cards 8 or below. Aces are played both low and high so an Ace is the lowest card in a low hand. Because each player must use exactly three community cards, there are times when a low hand is not possible. For example, if the board shows K Q T 7 3, then there can’t be a low hand as there are only two cards 8 or below on the board. In this case the high hand wins the entire pot. In the case of a tie for either the high or low hand, the half of the pot is split between the two hands. When two players have the same low hand, this is often called getting quartered, as you will win only a quarter of the pot (half of the low half).

The last thing we will cover is how to determine the best low hand. The easiest way to determine whose low hand is lowest is to take the five cards and read them backwards like a number. The lowest number wins. Here is an example.

A 2 6 7 8 is read 87,621 (Third Lowest)
A 2 3 4 6 is read 64,321 (Lowest)
A 2 3 6 8 is read 86,321 (Second Lowest)

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