Omaha Hi Lo Poker Rules
Owing to its frequently large pots, Omaha Hi/Lo (also called ‘Omaha High Low’, ‘Omaha H/L’, ‘Omaha/8’ or ‘Omaha 8-or-better’) has become a hugely popular game around the world. Each player in an Omaha Hi/Lo game is dealt four private cards (‘hole cards’) that belong only to that player. Five community cards are dealt face-up on the ‘board’. All players use exactly two cards from their four hole cards in conjunction with exactly three cards from the board to make the best five-card poker hand possible. The pot is divided between the best hand for high and the best hand for low – hence the name, Omaha Hi/Lo. You may use different combinations of two cards from your hand to make your high hand and your low hand, but in each hand you must use precisely two from your hand and three from the board – no more, no less. Visit the poker hands page to view the rankings of hands in Omaha Hi/Lo.
Omaha Hi/Lo is played with an ‘8-or-better’ qualifier, which means that a low hand must consist of five different cards – ranked eight or below – to be eligible to win the low portion of the pot. Low hands in Omaha Hi/Lo are determined in exactly the same way they’re determined in 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo. If there is no qualifying low hand, the high hand wins the entire pot.
- The Omaha poker rules do not allow you to make a hand using only one hole card (A ♥) in combination with four community cards (the four hearts on the board). In fact, this player only has a pair of.
- Omaha Hi-Lo is one of the most popular games in the world and a standard game you'll find spread in both live and online casinos. Since it is a split-pot game, it generates a lot of action. But it is imperative that you educate yourself in the Omaha Hi-Lo poker rules before you get going.
Omaha Hi-Lo is a poker game that uses community cards – These are cards that all players at the table can use in conjunction with their own hole cards, which in the case of Omaha Hi-Lo Poker is 4. The aim of the game, as with any poker game, is to make the best possible 5 card poker hand.
Omaha Hi/Lo uses the ‘Ace to Five’ or ‘California’ system for ranking low hands. Straights and flushes do not count against a hand, and Aces are always low in reading the low hand, so the best possible hand is a ‘wheel’: 5, 4, 3, 2, A. To help understand the ranks of low hands, the following sample qualifying low hands (not a complete list) are ranked from least powerful (#1, will rarely win the low half of the pot) to most powerful (#10, the nuts):
- 8, 7, 6, 5, 4
- 8, 7, 6, 5, 3
- 8, 6, 4, 2, A
- 8, 4, 3, 2, A
- 7, 6, 5, 4, 2
- 7, 6, 5, 2, A
- 7, 5, 4, 3, 2
- 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
- 6, 4, 3, 2, A
- 5, 4, 3, 2, A
Note that a low hand is always ranked from its highest card downwards. So for example, hand #9 is known as a ‘Six-low’ because its highest card is a Six. Hand #5 is a ‘Seven-low’, and Hand #1 is an ‘Eight-low’. In poker slang, you distinguish between close low hands by going further down the ranks, so hand #9 would be called a ‘Six-Four low’, which beats hand #8, a ‘Six-Five low’.
Also remember that straights and flushes do not count against your low hand, so making a qualifying low that is also a straight or a flush is a very powerful hand, that could win both the high and low halves of the pot. That’s called a ‘scoop’.
Types of Omaha Hi/Lo Games
Omaha Hi/Lo can be played in the following formats:
- Limit Omaha Hi/Lo – Specific betting limit applied in each game and on each round of betting.
- Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo – Bets are limited to the amount of chips in the pot.
- No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo – A player can bet all of the chips he has available.
- Mixed Omaha Hi/Lo – The game alternates between rounds of Limit and Pot-Limit. The blinds are increased when the game switches from Pot-Limit to Limit, to ensure that the stake levels are consistent.
Rules for Playing Omaha Hi/Lo
In Omaha Hi/Lo, a marker called ‘the button’ or ‘the dealer button’ indicates which player is the nominal dealer for the current game. Before the game begins, the player immediately clockwise from the button posts the ‘small blind’, the first forced bet. The player immediately clockwise from the small blind posts the ‘big blind’, which is typically twice the size of the small blind, but the blinds can vary depending on the stakes and betting structure being played.
In Limit games, the big blind is the same as the small bet, and the small blind is typically half the size of the big blind but may be larger depending on the stakes. For example, in a $2/$4 Limit game the small blind is $1 and the big blind is $2. In a $15/$30 Limit game, the small blind is $10 and the big blind is $15.
In Pot Limit and No Limit games, the games are referred to by the size of their blinds (for example, a $1/$2 Omaha Hi/Lo game has a small blind of $1 and a big blind of $2).
Now, each player receives their four hole cards. Betting action proceeds clockwise around the table, starting with the player ‘under the gun’ (immediately clockwise from the big blind).
Pre-Flop
After seeing his or her hole cards, each player now has the option to play his or her hand by calling or raising the big blind. The action begins to the left of the big blind, which is considered a ‘live’ bet on this round. That player has the option to fold, call or raise. For example, if the big blind was $2, it would cost $2 to call, or at least $4 to raise. Action then proceeds clockwise around the table.
Note: The betting structure varies with different variations of the game. Explanations of the betting action in Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, and Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo can be found below.
Betting continues on each betting round until all active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in the pot.
The Flop
After the first round of betting is complete, the ‘flop’ is dealt face-up on the board. The flop is the first three community cards available to all active players. Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. Another round of betting ensues. In Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, all bets and raises on the flop are in increments of the small bet (for example, $2 in a $2/$4 game).
The Turn
When betting action is completed for the flop round, the ‘turn’ is dealt face-up on the board. 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).
The River
When betting action is completed for the turn round, the ‘river’ is dealt face-up on the board. The river is the fifth and final community card in an Omaha Hi/Lo game. Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. A final betting round ensues.
The Showdown
If there is more than one remaining player when the final betting round is complete, the last person to bet or raise shows their cards, unless there was no bet on the final round in which case the player immediately clockwise from the button shows their cards first. The player with the best five-card hand for high wins half the pot, and the player with the best five-card hand for low wins the other half. Remember, in all Omaha games, players must use two (and only two) of their four hole cards in combination with exactly three cards from the board. In the event of identical hands, the high and low shares of the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands. In the event that no hand qualifies for low (i.e. is an ‘eight low’ or better), the best hand(s) for high wins the whole pot.
After the pot is awarded, a new Omaha Hi/Lo game is ready to be played. The button now moves clockwise to the next player.
Limit, Pot Limit, No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo
Omaha Hi/Lo rules remain the same for Limit, No Limit and Pot Limit poker games, with a few exceptions:
Limit Omaha Hi/Lo
Betting in Limit Omaha Hi/Lo is in pre-determined, structured amounts. Pre-flop and on the flop, all bets and raises are of the same amount as the big blind. On the turn and the river, the size of all bets and raises doubles. In Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, up to four bets are allowed per player during each betting round. This includes a (1) bet, (2) raise, (3) re-raise, and (4) cap (final raise).
Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo
The minimum bet in Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo is the same as the size of the big blind, but players can always bet up to the size of the pot.
Minimum raise: The raise amount must be at least as much as any previous bet or raise in the same round. As an example, if the first player to act bets $5 then the second player must raise a minimum of $5 (total bet of $10).
Maximum raise: The size of the pot, which is defined as the total of the active pot, plus all bets on the table, plus the amount the active player must first call before raising.
Example: If the size of the pot is $100, and there is no previous action on a particular betting round, a player may bet a maximum of $100. After that bet, the action moves to the next player clockwise. That player can either fold, call $100, or raise any amount between the minimum ($100 more) and the maximum. The maximum bet in this case is $400 – the raiser would first call $100, bringing the pot size to $300, and then raise $300 more, making a total bet of $400.
In Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, there is no ‘cap’ on the number of raises allowed.
No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo
The minimum bet in No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo is the same as the size of the big blind, but players can always bet as much more as they want, up to all of their chips.
Minimum raise: In No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, the raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round. As an example, if the first player to act bets $5 then the second player must raise a minimum of $5 (total bet of $10).
Maximum raise: The size of your stack (your chips on the table).
In No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, there is no ‘cap’ on the number of raises allowed.
Omaha Hi/Lo is growing very fast in popularity, especially with the exposure of online poker. So while learning the rules of Omaha Hi/Lo can take some getting used to, it is an entertaining poker variant that many players have learned to enjoy.
Learn How to Play Omaha Hi/Lo for Free
If you are unfamiliar with Omaha Hi/Lo, we recommend you try that poker game out to get a feel for how the game is played. You are always welcome to play on the free poker tables at the poker rooms, so that you can sharpen your skills before playing real money poker.
Rules For Omaha Hi Lo Poker
How to Play Omaha Hi-Lo Poker
Omaha Hi-Lo is a poker game that uses community cards – These are cards that all players at the table can use in conjunction with their own hole cards, which in the case of Omaha Hi-Lo Poker is 4. The aim of the game, as with any poker game, is to make the best possible 5 card poker hand. However, where Omaha Hi-Lo differs from most is that you sometimes need to make 2 poker hands, a Hi hand and a Lo’s hand. More of this later.
Omaha Hi-Lo Poker is not as popular as some version of online poker such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha. The rules are the same as in Omaha for the Hi hand. In Omaha Hi-Lo, as in Omaha, all players receive 4 ‘hole’ cards at the start of a hand. An important thing to remember for Omaha Hi-Lo is that you must use 2 of your 4 hole cards for the Hi hand and 2 for the Lo hand where applicable. You cannot choose 3 of your hold cards and 2 of the community cards for example. You can choose 2 different cards for the Hi hand and the Lo’s hand if you wish, but for each, you can only select 2 hole cards and 3 community cards.
In a cash game, you can sit down with your own money and leave at any time with the chips that you have in front of you. If you choose to play either a multi-table tournament or a sit and go, you will all start with the same number of chips for the same buy-in and play continues until one player has all the chips in play. Money is paid to the best-placed players, the number of players who end up ‘in the money’ depends on entrants, but winnings are only paid once the tournament has finished so you cannot walk away at any time with funds like you can in cash games.
Omaha Hi-Lo Rules
Omaha Hi-Lo uses one deck of 52 cards. All cards count at their respective values with Aces counting as either high or low for both hands which can be very important in this game.
The rules in terms of betting rounds are essentially the same as for Omaha except when it comes to determining the winning hands.
A player is designated as the dealer for each hand. This player has a ‘button’ in front of them to signify this. Although this player won’t physically deal the cards, the position of this button determines other actions like who will receive cards first and who will be first and last to act. The cards are dealt with each player starting with the player on the left of the dealer. This dealer button moves around the table after each hand in a clockwise direction.
Before each hand commences, the player to the dealer’s left places a bet known as a ‘small blind’. This is necessary for them to be dealt into the hand. This amount is the same each hand in a cash game, the amount depends on the table limits, whilst in a tournament, these bets increase at predetermined intervals which ensures the tournament will finish as players bet higher and higher amounts. The next player to the left of the small blind, effectively 2 places to the left of the dealer, pays another forced bet, this one known as the big blind. This is usually twice the amount of the small blind. The dealer button moves around the table after each hand to ensure all players take their turn at placing these bets ensuring fairness in the game and also that there is money in play for each hand.
When these 2 bets have been placed, all players receive 4 cards face down that only they can see. The player to the dealers left, the small blind, gets a card first with play continuing in a clockwise direction. The dealer is the last to receive cards.
It is now time for the 1st of 4 betting rounds. As the 2 players to the left of the dealer have already placed a bet, the player to the left of the big blind is the first to act now. This gives an advantage to those in the blinds as they will be the last to act and will, therefore, have a better idea of what other players have.
There are several options each player has at this point. They can ‘Call’ the current largest bet (place a bet equal to the largest one so far, this will be the big blind unless someone else has previously ‘Raised’), Raise (place a bet of more than the previous highest bet, different table limits have different rules about how much this can be, it normally needs to be at least double the big blind amount) or Fold (if you don’t feel it is worth Calling the highest bet as your cards aren’t that good, you throw your cards away and are out of the hand without the need to pay any further funds).
Play – otherwise known as action – now continues to the next player on the left of the previous one until all players have either Called the highest bet or Folded and left the hand. If the action gets back to the big blind, who is the last player to act in this betting round, and no one has Raised, the big blind can ‘Check’ which effectively means he Calls the highest bet without needing to put more chips in as he has already matched the highest bet with his big blind bet.
When all players have either Called or Folded, 3 cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. This is known as the ‘Flop’ and the first of 5 Community cards that all players can use.
We now have a 2nd betting round for all remaining players. This is the same as the last betting round except that action starts with the 1st player to the Dealers left who is still in the hand, the player who placed the Big Blind. The first player can ‘Check’ if they wish as no forced bet is in play in further betting rounds, this means they effectively Call the highest bet which is currently nothing. No chips need to be added at this point, although if any other player Raises, all players need to place chips of this value to continue in the hand.
As before, the betting round ends once all players have either Called or Folded. If there are at least 2 players still remaining, we go to the Turn, which is a 4th community card dealt face up for all players to use. A 3rd betting round now takes place the same as before with one difference, which is the minimum bet from now on is twice the value of the big blind, therefore if a player decides to Raise, the minimum they can bet is twice the big blind for that hand.
When this hand has been completed, a 5th and final community card is dealt, the River. This completes the cards available to use so at this point you will know your best hand for the Hi hand and whether it is possible that a player can have a qualifying Lo hand. More of that in a moment. There is then one final betting round the same as the last one.
If 2 or more players are still involved after this betting round, we go to Showdown to determine the winner/s. If all except one player has folded, that remaining player wins the pot.
The winning Hi hand is determined by the best 5 card poker hand using 3 of the 5 community cards and 2 of the 4 hole cards available to the player. Please remember that it needs to be this combination and you cannot use 0, 1, 3 or 4 hole cards, it needs to be 2 of your 4 hole cards and 3 of the 5 community cards.
Here is where Omaha Hi-Lo differs from Omaha, the Lo hand.
A qualifying Lo hand is one that contains 5 separate numbers from 1 (Ace) up to 8. Pairs of numbers don’t count, there need to be 5 unique values.
If 3 of the 5 community cards have separate values of between Ace up to 8, then it is possible for a Lo hand to be made. In this case, half of the pot goes to the best Lo hand and a half to the best Hi hand.
The best Lo hand is determined by the lowest values in the hand.
If 2 or more players have a qualifying hand, the lowest number is compared. If 2 or more players have a hand with the same lowest card, the 2nd lowest is compared. This continues until one player has a lower value card than the other, this hand is declared the winner of the Lo hand, if more than one player has the same value Lo hand in terms of all 5 cards, that part of the pot is split equally.
When deciding your best Lo hand, you can use the same 2 hole cards as for your best Hi hand or different cards for both. The same rule applies though that you need to use 2 of your 4 hole cards and 3 community cards for each.
Take a look at the example below.
This is the Showdown and there are 3 players left, Adam, Harry, and Alex.
As there are 4 cards valued at 8 or below in the community cards – Ace of Spades, 3 of Clubs, 5 of Clubs and 8 of Clubs, a Lo hand is possible.
Players need to use 2 of their 4 hole cards to make a hand, therefore only Adam with his 2 Diamonds and 6 of Diamonds has a qualifying Lo hand of Ace, 2, 3, 5 and 6. He wins half the pot for the best Lo hand.
However, he only has a pair of Kings for the best Hi hand and is beaten to that by Harry who has a flush, using the Jack and 10 of Clubs from his hole cards along with the 3, 5 and 8 of Clubs from the community cards. He, therefore, wins half the pot as the best Hi hand.
Omaha Hi-Lo can take some getting used to, so we suggest you try it for free at one of our recommended sites before you start playing for real money.
Omaha Hi-Lo Poker Strategy
Omaha Hi-Lo is totally different from most forms of poker and a lot harder to master.
That being said, because of this even if you only get a good grip on the best way to play, there is still money to be made against less experienced players.
The key thing to remember is that there are 2 hands that you are looking to make, so you need to consider the Lo hand at least, if not more than, the Hi hand.
An Ace is a great card to have in any form of poker, this is especially the case in Omaha Hi-Lo as it is the best Hi card and the best Lo card.
In fact, many players would not consider putting money into the pot pre-flop without an Ace in their hand.
It is only after the Flop though that you get a real feel for how the hand is likely to go and if there is likely to be a Lo hand or not.
30% of the time, there is no possibility of a Lo hand and therefore the best Hi hand will take the pot.
The top 10 starting hands in Omaha Hi-Lo are open to discussion, you won’t go far wrong raising though with any of the following:
AA23 DS
AA24 DS
AA23 Suited
AA25 DS
AA24 Suited
AA34 DS
AA23 Non suited
AA22 DS
AA35 DS
AA26 DS
DS = Double suited, so 2 cards of 1 suit and 2 cards of another
Suited = 2 cards the same suit, 2 cards of different suits
Non-Suited = 4 cards of different suits or the non-aces suited
Other playable starting hands (ones to play when in late position if no raise has been made)
AA2x
AA3x
AA45
A23x
A2KK
A2QQ
A2JJ
A345
AAxx
A2KQ
A2KJ
A2xx (with suited Ace)
A3KK
A34x
2345 (fold if no Ace appears on the Flop)
JQKA
TJQK
KKQJ
QJT9
234x (fold if no Ace appears on the Flop)
Any 4 cards between T and Ace
*x represents any card
Omaha Hi-Lo Tips
Omaha Hi-lo Poker Rules
A2 is the new AA – In most games, a pair of Aces is the hand you are looking for to start. However, due to the nature of the Lo hand in Omaha Hi-Lo Poker, A2 is the one to look for. You would almost always want to see the Flop with these cards as you are guaranteed at least a share of the Lo pot if 3 of 3,4,5,6,7, or 8 appear on the board
Look for connectors – the closer together your cards are the better as Omaha Hi-Lo is very much a drawing game. If these are double suited, so much the better
Don’t bluff – in some forms of poker, bluffing is a key part, this is not the case with Omaha Hi-Lo though. As there are 2 hands to consider most of the time, it is going to be harder to bet a player off the pot if they have, for example, A2 and there are 2/3 Lo cards on the board, you are much more likely to get your fingers burnt if you bluff against them
Don’t stay in without a premium Hi or Lo hand – if you have a good Hi hand and a good Lo hand, the chances are neither will be good enough to win, especially if there are several players left in the pot. Stay in only when you have at least one hand which is the nuts or close
Be selective with your starting hands – The higher number of options all players have to mean the winning hand is likely to have to be much better than in Texas Hold’em, therefore avoid calling with low cards that aren’t double suited or consecutive
Get to know the players – Whilst this is important in all forms of poker, this is especially the case in Omaha Hi-Lo, if you can spot those players that call or raise with anything, you could well have a good advantage against them when you hit something good
Respect most big raises and bets – Again, true for all forms of poker but unless you have an exceptional hand or a lot of draws, get out if a big bet comes along
Do not overestimate your hand – The nut flush for example in Texas Hold’em would normally be an excellent hand and give you a great chance of winning, this is not the case in Omaha Hi-Lo especially if the board has paired as winning hands are normally a lot better
Work out your outs – A hand with 8 outs in Texas Hold’em would normally be worth playing, however, due to the increased number of starting combinations in Omaha Hi-Lo, it is possible to flop a hand with 13, 17 and 20 way Straight draws meaning it a lot less likely your hand will hold up
Do not always play unsuited Aces – AA preflop would be great in Texas Hold’em, in Omaha Hi-Lo though if you don’t have another card of the same suit, you need to really hit one of the other 2 Aces on the Flop otherwise there is little else to improve your hand
Be cautious in multi-way pots – If more than one other player is in the hand with you, the likelihood is that you will need the ‘nuts’ – the best possible hand – to ensure you win, don’t invest too much if you don’t have a chance of getting it
Related Articles:
Omaha Hi-Lo Poker Video Tutorial
Poker Hand Rankings
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