Read more about the
Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha Hi-Lo starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where some entrants can get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in nearly all poker games.

The low hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.

While it seems complicated at the start, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an exciting range of betting possibilities and because you have several individuals battling for the high hand, and many trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi lo.