How To Play Omaha Hi Lo

Omaha poker is the 2nd most popular poker game, after texas holdem. It’s what many players go to after playing holdem. For most it’s to diversify their skill set, and for others it’s merely to keep from being bored.

• Free Online Omaha Hi Lo
• How Do You Play Omaha Hi Lo
• How To Play Omaha Hi/lo 8
• Omaha 8 Or Better Strategy
• How To Play Omaha Hi Lo Poker

Omaha Hi Lo 8b Strategy. Omaha Hi Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or Omaha Eight or Better) is a “split pot” version of the popular Omaha poker game. In this version of the game, there are two winning hands in each round: the high winner and the low winner. The high hand winner is the player with the highest value winning hand – the same as in. Learn how to play Omaha Hi-Lo here. Omaha Rules Overview. Omaha is usually played with either pot-limit or limit betting rules. For more on the different betting structures in poker, check out our guide to Poker Betting Rules. Pot Limit Omaha is commonly called “PLO”, and is the second-most popular poker game in the world, behind Texas Hold.

I think omaha is the 2nd most popular game because on the surface omaha looks much harder to learn, especially when compared to holdem. Not to mention that holdem is the game most shown on TV.

The rules of Omaha hi-lo is usually played with a 'qualifier' for the low hand, meaning all of the cards making up a low hand have to be ranked eight or lower. That's where the 'split-8-or-better'. Omaha Hi Lo allows you to play for both the hi and low pot and because of this the starting hand requirements in Omaha 8 vary significantly from Omaha Hi since the goal is to be able to play for. The turn is the fourth community card in an Omaha Hi/Lo game. Play begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. Another round of betting ensues. In Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, bets and raises on the turn are in increments of the big bet (for example, $4 in a $2/$4 game).

However, omaha isn’t that hard of a game to learn, and even easier if you’ve already learned how to play holdem. I’ll show you exactly what I mean. Below you’ll find the rules, winning hands and better formats explained in detail.

An Example Hand of How to Play Omaha – Rules & Game Play

Free Online Omaha Hi Lo

This is an example of how your typical hand of omaha plays out. Anything to do with omaha hi/lo will be explained during/after the ‘what hands win’ section.

The Blinds & Hole Cards

Omaha poker is a game played with blinds. There are two blinds that need to be posted, the small blind and the big blind. In a $2/$4 omaha game, $2 would be the small blind and $4 would be the big blind. The player that sits one seat to the left of the dealer button is the small blind, and the player to his left (2 seats to the left of the dealer button) is the big blind.

Once the blinds are posted each player is dealt 4 cards, one at a time, starting with the small blind. The cards are dealt around the table clockwise until each player has received their hole cards.

Preflop

Once all of the cards have been dealt, the first betting round will begin. The betting will start with the first player to the left of the big blind, also known as the player “under the gun” or “utg.” This player will have the option to fold, call or raise the big blind.

After the player under the gun has acted, the betting action will continue clockwise around the table until each player has had the opportunity to act. Each player will have the option to fold, call or raise depending on the action in front of them, as well as the betting format being used (explained more below).

Once all players have acted, the remaining players will then go to the flop.

Flop

The flop is 3 community cards (of 5) that players can use to make the best 5-card poker hand possible. Once the dealer deals 3 cards face up, another round of betting will start.

Unlike preflop where the betting action starting with the player to the left of the big blind, action on the flop and all subsequent rounds will begin with the player closest to the left of the dealer button.

This player will have the option to check (pass) or bet. Once this player has acted, then each remaining player afterward (moving clockwise around the table) will have the option to check, fold, call or bet depending on the action in front of them.

If there are two or more players after each player has had the opportunity to act, then they will go to the turn.

Turn

The turn is the 4th community card that each player can use to make their 5-card poker hand. The betting round will be identical to the flop.

River

The river is the 5th and final community card that players can use. The betting round will play exactly the same as the flop and turn.

Now, if all but one player folds, then that player will be the winner and be awarded the chips. However, if there are two or more players still in the hand after the betting round, then there will be a showdown. A showdown is where one or more players show their hand to determine the winner.

If there was no betting on the river, then the player closest to the left of the dealer button will need to show their hand. However, if someone did bet on the river, then that player will need to show their hand. Working clockwise around the table, each remaining player can muck (not show their hand) and lose, or show their hand if it’s the best.

The player with the best hand will win. Players must use no more/less then 2 of their hole cards and 2 community cards to make their hand.

After the chips are awarded, the dealer button moves one seat to the left, blinds are reposted, the cards are reshuffled and dealt and a new hand can then get started.

What Hands Win in Omaha

Omaha (hi) uses the traditional hand ranking chart to determine the best hand. From the best hand to worst:

• Royal Flush
• Straight Flush
• 4 of a Kind
• Full House
• Flush
• Straight
• 3 of a Kind
• 2 Pair
• 1 Pair
• High Card

Pots are split when there are ties, and suits are not used for breaking ties.

Omaha Hi/Lo

One variation of omaha is omaha hi/lo, or omaha 8 or better. In this variation 2 different hands can win at showdown — a ‘hi’ hand that uses the traditional hand ranking chart explained above, and a ‘lo’ hand, which is 5 cards that are 8 or lower.

For example, if two players go to showdown and one shows a flush and the other shows a 7-4-3-2-A, then the pot will be split amongst them. It is possible for pots to be split amongst multiple players in the case of ties (players will receive quarter pots instead of halves).

The best lo hand that can be made is a wheel, or A-2-3-4-5. Players will lo hands that also make hi hands (like a wheel or flush) can also win both the lo and hi pot, also known as scooping the pot.

To determine the best lo hand, simply count from the top card down. For example, a A-2-3-4-8 is a worse hand than A-3-4-5-7. If the highest cards are the same, then you look at the second highest, then the third and so on.

All the other rules (above) will apply.

Omaha Poker Betting

Omaha is usually played in one of two different betting formats — pot limit and no limit. Here is how the betting would work in either game (using $2/$4 as examples):

• The small blind is $2 and the big blind is $4. These must be posted before the cards are dealt.
• All bets must be a minimum of the big blind, or the current bet. For example, if no one bet, the smallest raise is to $8. However, if someone else already bet/raise, then the minimum raise is 2x their amount.
• In a no limit omaha game, any player at any time can move all of their chips into the middle — go “all in.”
• In a pot limit game the biggest raise can not be any bigger than the size of the current pot. For example, if the pot had $10 in it, then the next raise cannot be any bigger than $10. However, if someone bet $10 making the pot $20, then the next player could raise as much as $20. Players can continue raising until someone folds, calls to see the next community card or until one player is all in.

And that’s all there is to playing omaha poker.

Table Of Contents

How Do You Play Omaha Hi Lo

What is Omaha Hi-Lo Split-8-or-Better Poker?

If you know how to play pot-limit Omaha (or 'Omaha high'), you are well on your way to learning how to play Omaha hi-lo.

As the name suggests, Omaha hi-lo is a 'split-pot' version of Omaha poker in which players compete for both the 'high' and 'low' halves of the pot. Omaha hi-lo is usually played with fixed-limit betting and often turns up in 'mixed game' formats like H.O.R.S.E. (in which Omaha hi-lo is the 'O') or the popular 8-game mix.

You will sometimes see the game referred to simply as 'Omaha 8' or even 'O/8' or more elaborately as 'Omaha hi-lo split-pot-8-or-better.' The name gets styled differently, too, as 'Omaha High-Low,' 'Omaha poker high-low' and so on.

Pot-limit and no-limit versions of Omaha hi-lo are also popular, especially online either as cash games or tournaments.

How to Play Omaha Hi-Lo Split-8-or-Better Poker

The basic rules for Omaha hi-lo are very similar to pot-limit Omaha. See 'How to Play Omaha Poker' for an overview of how to play Omaha poker, which is itself a variation on regular Texas hold'em.

Just like in pot-limit Omaha, players are dealt four cards in Omaha hi-lo and are required to use two of those four cards in combination with three community cards in order to make a five-card poker hand.

As in hold'em or pot-limit Omaha, if a player bets and everyone folds before the showdown, the player wins the pot without having to show a hand. However, if the final bet is called and there is a showdown, hands are examined to see who has the best 'high' hand and who has the best 'low' hand, with each winning one-half of the pot.

Omaha Hi-Lo Split-8-or-Better Rules

In Omaha hi-lo, the 'high' hand is determined exactly the same way as in hold'em or Omaha 'high' games (like PLO), following traditional hand rankings.

The 'low' hand requires a little more explanation, especially if you are new to split-pot games or hi-lo poker.

First of all, whatever cards you use to make your high hand, that makes no difference when making your low hand. You can use the same two cards, the other two cards, or any combination just as long as you use two cards from your four-card hand plus three of the community cards to build your five-card poker hand.

The rules of Omaha hi-lo is usually played with a 'qualifier' for the low hand, meaning all of the cards making up a low hand have to be ranked eight or lower. That's where the 'split-8-or-better' comes from, a phrase usually added to the name of the game.

A qualifying low hand consists of five unpaired cards ranked eight or lower. For the low hand, the ace is considered a low card (the lowest), while it can also serve as the highest-ranking card in high hands.

Also worth noting — if your lowest five cards make a straight or a flush, that doesn't matter in Omaha hi-lo, you've still got a low hand (if all are ranked eight or lower). In other 'lowball' games like 2-7 no-limit triple draw, flushes and straights hurt you by making your low hand higher, but in Omaha hi-lo that is not the case.

That means a hand consisting of 5-4-3-2-A would be the lowest possible hand — that is to say, the best 'low hand' in Omaha hi-lo. This hand is sometimes called a 'wheel.' The next lowest possible hand is 6-4-3-2-A. The worst low hand that qualifies as a low in Omaha hi-lo would be 8-7-6-5-4.

How To Play Omaha Hi/lo 8

A good way to figure out which low hand is best is to arrange the hand from highest card to lowest card and then to think of the hand as a five-digit number, with the lowest number being the best (or lowest) hand. Thus 5-4-3-2-A (54321) is better than 6-4-3-2-A (64321), and 6-4-3-2-A is better than 6-5-3-2-A (65321) and so on.

An Example of an Omaha Hi-Lo Split-8-or-Better Poker Hand

Let's say a hand of Omaha hi-lo goes to showdown with the final board reading 6♣3♠K♦Q♦.

You hold A♣K♠7♦4♣, and your opponent has Q♠J♦4♦2♠.

Your best possible high hand is two pair, aces and kings — using the A♣ and K♠ in your hand pairing them with the ace and king on board, with the queen being a kicker.

Your best possible low hand is 7-6-4-3-A — using the 7♦ and 4♣ in your hand along with the three low cards on the board. Note how you can't use the ace in your hand when making your low hand, since you have to use exactly two cards in your hand and three on the board (and there is an ace on the board).

Your opponent, meanwhile, has you beat both for the high and the low!

Your opponent's best possible high hand is a flush — using the two diamonds in his hand (J♦ and 4♦) and the three diamonds on the board.

Your opponent's best possible low hand is 6-4-3-2-A — using the 4♦ and the 2♠ in his hand along with the three low cards on the board. 64321 is lower than 76431, so your opponent has you beat.

Winning both halves of the pot like this is called a 'scoop' or 'scooping,' which is something you always want to try to do when playing split-pot or hi-lo poker games.

Sometimes in Omaha hi-lo there is no qualifying low hand. This is the case whenever there are less than three unpaired cards ranked eight or lower on the board.

For example, if the board is 9♣K♦A♥4♥J♠, there are only two cards ranked eight or lower on the board (the ace and four), which means it is impossible for anyone to make a low hand. When that happens, whoever has the best high hand scoops the whole pot.

Conclusion

Omaha 8 Or Better Strategy

Omaha hi-lo is not difficult to learn, especially if you already know how to play pot-limit Omaha. The strategy can be complicated, though, with a great deal of importance placed on understanding what are strong starting hands (e.g., hands containing an ace with at least one or two low cards, especially a deuce) and not making the mistake of battling for only half of the pot (just the high or low).

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How To Play Omaha Hi Lo Poker

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