An Outline of the Basic Set-Up & Rules of Omaha Hi-Lo Poker
This text has been prepared by The Eureka Kid, on behalf of TheOmahaSplit.com
Overview of the Game
Omaha High/Low (also called Omaha Hi-Lo or Omaha 8 or Better) is a variation of regular Omaha. Like Texas Hold 'Em it is a community card form of poker, but in Omaha poker each player is dealt four cards to begin a hand. All of the rules that apply to Omaha are also applied to Omaha High/Low, except that the pot is split between the best high hand and the best low hand. The best high hand is determined using conventional poker hand rankings. A qualifying low hand must consist of five unpaired cards with a value of eight or less, with aces counting as one. The nut low hand is therefore A-2-3-4-5. If there is no qualifying hand for low, the best high hand wins the whole pot.
The Order of Play
Pre-Flop
Like other forms of community card poker Omaha Hi-Lo has a dealer button to dictate where the cards are dealt. Before dealing, the two players to the left of the dealer button post small and big blinds. The play starts with four cards dealt face down to each player. The action starts with a betting round and the first player to act is left of the big blind and proceeds clockwise around the table. Players may either bet, check, raise or fold in turn. If there are no raises, the big blind may check or raise the bet when it become their turn to act.
The Flop
The flop consists of the first three of five community cards being placed face up in the middle of the table. A round of betting proceeds once the flop is carried out. The first player to act is left of the dealer button. If no cards with a value of eight or less are flopped, then there will be no qualifying low for the hand and thus if a showdown should proceed to pot will be one by the player holding the best high hand.
The Turn
The next community card is dealt face up and followed by a round of betting.
The River
The final community card is dealt face up and a final round of betting ensues. Players remaining in the hand at the end will then show their cards and the winning poker hand will be awarded the pot. Players must form their best five-card poker hand from only two of their four pocket cards and any three of five community cards. The pot is awarded to the best high hand if no low is showdown, or split 50-50 between the best high hand and the best low hand showdown. The same cards can be used for a player's high and low hand, if two players show the same hand the pot is further split between them. Once the pot is awarded, the dealer button is advanced clockwise around the table so that every player can benefit from the advantage of being last to act once per round.
Betting Structures
Like other forms of poker, Omaha 8 or Better can be played with a number of different betting structures. We have briefly outlined these structres below
Fixed Limit
A bettor has no choice how much they would like to bet, they must bet the amount dictated to them by the limits. For example in a $5/$10 game, on the flop the first player to act may either check or bet $5. On the turn, the bet increases to $10. When raising a player may only raise by the limit and betting is usually 'capped' at 4 bets per betting round.
Pot Limit
A pot limit game of poker allows a player to bet/raise any amount up to the size of the pot currently in play. A player raising or betting less than the maximum so long as the amount of the bet/raise is equal to or larger than previous betting and raising in the same betting round and in accordance with the minimum bet dictated by the size of the blinds.
No Limit
No limit betting is exactly as the name states! A player may bet any amount at any time, with a minimum bet/raise of the size of the blind or the size of the bet already made in the current betting round.
Hand Rankings
High Hand Ranks
1. Royal Flush A, K, Q, J, 10 of same suit 10S,
JS, QS, KS, AS
2. Straight Flush Five cards of same suit in sequence
4D, 5D, 6D, 7D, 8D
3. 4 of a kind Four cards of the same rank 7S,
7C, 7D, 7H
4. Full House Three of a kind plus a pair 3D, 3S,
3C, KS, KH
5. Flush Five cards of the same suit 3H, 7H, 10H,
QH, AH
6. Straight Five cards in sequence 5C, 6D, 7C,
8H, 9S
7. 3 of a kind Three cards of the same rank JH,
JS, JD
8. 2 Pair Two pairs of different rank 5H, 5S, 9C,
9S
9. 1 Pair Two cards of the same rank AS, AD
8 or Better Low Hand Rank Example
In determining the best low hand, you first compare the highest card of the low, followed by the second highest cards and so on. For example, A hand containing 7-6-5-4-2 is better than 8-5-4-3-2 because the highest card in the first hand, a seven, is better than the eight in the second hand.
Omaha/8 Low Hands Guide from Best to Worst
| 1 |
A-2-3-4-5 |
| 2 |
A-2-3-4-6 |
| 3 |
A-2-3-5-6 |
| 4 |
A-2-4-5-6 |
| 5 |
A-3-4-5-6 |
| 6 |
2-3-4-5-6 |
| 7 |
A-2-3-4-7 |
| 8 |
A-2-3-5-7 |
| 9 |
A-2-4-5-7 |
| 10 |
A-3-4-5-7 |
| 11 |
2-3-4-5-7 |
| 12 |
A-2-3-6-7 |
| 13 |
A-2-4-6-7 |
| 14 |
A-3-4-6-7 |
| 15 |
2-3-4-6-7 |
| 16 |
A-2-5-6-7 |
| 17 |
A-3-5-6-7 |
| 18 |
2-3-5-6-7 |
| 19 |
A-4-5-6-7 |
| 20 |
2-4-5-6-7 |
| 21 |
3-4-5-6-7 |
| 22 |
A-2-3-4-8 |
| 23 |
A-2-3-5-8 |
| 24 |
A-2-4-5-8 |
| 25 |
A-3-4-5-8 |
| 26 |
2-3-4-5-8 |
| 27 |
A-2-3-6-8 |
| 28 |
A-2-4-6-8 |
| 29 |
A-3-4-6-8 |
| 30 |
2-3-4-6-8 |
| 31 |
A-2-5-6-8 |
| 32 |
A-3-5-6-8 |
| 33 |
2-3-5-6-8 |
| 34 |
A-4-5-6-8 |
| 35 |
2-4-5-6-8 |
| 36 |
3-4-5-6-8 |
| 37 |
A-2-3-7-8 |
| 38 |
A-2-4-7-8 |
| 39 |
A-3-4-7-8 |
| 40 |
2-3-4-7-8 |
| 41 |
A-2-5-7-8 |
| 42 |
A-3-5-7-8 |
| 43 |
2-3-5-7-8 |
| 44 |
A-4-5-7-8 |
| 45 |
2-4-5-7-8 |
| 46 |
3-4-5-7-8 |
| 47 |
A-2-6-7-8 |
| 48 |
A-3-6-7-8 |
| 49 |
2-3-6-7-8 |
| 50 |
A-4-6-7-8 |
| 51 |
2-4-6-7-8 |
| 52 | |
