Omaha Hi Lo (also called Omaha 8 or Better) is a game that often allows big pots to pile up, and it is for this reason that this style of poker has so quickly turned into a popular game in North America and Europe. In Omaha Hi Lo, all players receive four cards. The dealt cards belong only to that player who gets them. On the board, five community cards are dealt, face-up.
The object of the game is for a player to try to come up with the best five-card hand possible from two of the four hole cards, in combination with three of the five community cards. The pot is divided between the owners of the highest and the lowest hands - which explains the origin of the name of the game: Omaha High Low. The rankings of poker hands in Omaha Hi Lo are provided below. Omaha Hi Lo is always played with an "8 or better" qualifier. This means that the low proportion of the pot may not contain a card with a value higher than eight. In Omaha High Low, the values of the low hands are valued in the same way as in Seven Card Stud High Low.
Accepted variations of the Omaha High Low game
Omaha High Low can be played in the following variations:
- Fix Limit Omaha High Low - Specific betting limit applied in each game and on each round of betting.
- Pot Limit Omaha High Low - Bets are limited by the amount of chips in the pot
- No Limit Omaha High Low - Each single player can bet with all of the chips personally held.
Omaha Hi Lo Rules
In Omaha Hi Lo, a disk represents the dealer button, and also shows which player will serve as the nominal dealer for the current game. Before the game starts, the player immediately clockwise the button posts the "small blind", which is usually one half of the smallest bet (for example, $2 in a $2/$4 Omaha Hi Lo game). The player immediately clockwise of the small blind posts the "big blind", which is the full bet ($4 in a $2/$4 Omaha Hi Lo game). Then, all players are dealt their four hole cards.
Betting action starts from the player immediately clockwise of the big blind and then continues around the table. After the betting round, the flop is dealt face-up on the board. The flop is made up of the first three community cards available to all active players. Betting begins with the player immediately clockwise the button. All bets and raises take place in a total bet ($4 in a $2/$4 game).
When betting action is completed, the turn is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community card in the Omaha Hi Lo. Play begins with the player immediately clockwise the button. In this Fix Limit round of Omaha High Low, the unit of the bet is doubled. For example, $8 are bet in a $2/$4 Omaha Hi Lo game.
After the 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 Omaha Hi Lo. Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise the button. If more than one player is left after the final betting round, then the last bettor or raiser shows his or her cards first. 
If there was no bet in the final round, the active player immediately clockwise the button shows his or her cards first. The player who has the highest five-card poker hand wins half the pot, and the player who has the lowest five-card poker hand takes the other half.
Players must apply two and only two of their four hole cards in combination with three cards from the board in Omaha Hi Lo. Should the highest and the lowest hands be held by several players at the same time, then the pots' high and low halves are divided between the entitled players in equal proportions. If there is no valid low five-card poker hand, the player with the best five-card poker hand wins the low half of the pot. After the pot is awarded, players can start a new game of Omaha High Low. The button moves clockwise to the next player.
The "eight or better" rule
Review the next part, should you be unfamiliar with the rules of the low poker hand. The colors and rows do not count in low poker hands. All cards higher than the number eight card and one of the pairs are also discarded.
Additionally, the Ace rates low card, so the best low poker hand is the wheel, like 5, 4, 3, 2, A. Examples of low hands, from weakest (#1) to strongest (#7):
- 8, 7, 6, 5, 4
- 8, 7, 5, 3, 2
- 7, 6, 3, 2, A
- 7, 5, 4, 3, 2
- 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
- 6, 4, 3, 2, A
- 5, 4, 3, 2, A
The following hands do not conform to the rules governing the low poker hand, and thus may not win the lower half of the pot:
- J, T, 9, 8, 7 (no 8 or better)
- 9, 4, 3, 2, A (no 8 or better)
- 7, 6, 2, A, A (an 8 or better poker hand may not include a pair)
Do never forget that if there is not a lower card, and if there are at least three different number eights on the board, this means that nobody has the best low poker hand, so the player who has the strongest poker hand wins the full pot.
Summary
The growth in the popularity of on-line Omaha High Low poker is unrivaled. While getting a grasp of the rules for Omaha High Low may not be easy at first, this version of poker remains an entertaining game, and has attracted many regular Omaha poker players, as well as Texas Hold'em players. We hope you will enjoy our regularly scheduled poker tournaments.
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