Omaha Hi/Lo Rules

Omaha Hi/Lo (or Omaha Hold'em Hi/Lo, Omaha/8, O8B) is a high low split, community card poker game based on Texas Hold'em, with four betting rounds. Community cards are cards dealt face up to the center of the table (five in total) and shared by all players. Each player is privately dealt an incomplete hand (of four cards), which is then combined with the community cards to make a complete hand. Actually each player tries to make two hands, which bring us to the high low split part of the game.

Hi/Lo
Omaha Hi/Lo is a high-low split pot game, that is the "best" (best high) and the "worst" (best low) hand split the pot between them. If one player has the best high hand and another player has the best low hand the pot is quite simply split between them. If one player has both the best high hand and the best low hand, that player scoops the entire pot. If there is a tie for one of the parts of the pot, it can be a bit more intricate. But the cardinal rule is that half the pot is reserved for the best high hand(s) and the other half is reserved for the best low hand(s).

One final example on the splitting of the pot: If two players are tied for the best high hand then these players get ¼ of the pot each and if in the same pot there is another single player who has the best low hand, then that player gets ½ of the pot. Should the player being tied for the best high hand and the player who has the best low hand be one and the same, then that player gets ¼ + ½ = ¾ of the pot.

Unless otherwise stated a qualifier of 8-or-better for low applies to Omaha Hi/Lo. That is a player must have five cards of different ranks that are an eight or lower in rank in order to able to contest the low half of the pot. The lower the highest card is, the better. Straight or flushes do not count against the low hand. An ace may be used for high or low. For a more detailed discussion on this, please see the section on hand rankings for low. If there are no qualifying low hands, then the whole pot is awarded to the best high hand.

Final Hand
At the showdown, each player's hands are the best five-card combinations made from exactly three of the five cards on the board, plus exactly two of their own cards. Note, unlike Texas Hold'em, a player cannot play only one of their cards with four of the board, nor can they play the board (all five board cards), nor play three from his hand and two from the board, or any other combination. Each player must play exactly two of their own cards with exactly three of the community cards. The same goes for both the high hand and the low hand. The same or different combinations can be used for the different pot halves.

Sequence of game play

1. Dealer One player is the nominal dealer for the hand. The dealers position moves clockwise at the end of each hand; the dealers seat is indicated by a dealers button.
2. Blinds The two players to the left of the dealer, posts the small- and big blind respectively.
3. Pocket cards Each player receives four cards face down (the players own cards are also known as hole cards as well as pocket cards).

4. First betting round The action starts with the player to the left of the big blind, and continues clockwise.
5. Flop Three community cards are turned face up on the table.

6. Second betting round The action starts with the first player to the left of the dealer who is still in the hand, and continues clockwise.
7. Turn Another (the fourth) community card is turned face up on the table.

8. Third betting round The betting advance as before. (In a fixed limit betting structure the bets are now doubled.)
9. River The final (the fifth) community card is turned face up on the table.

10. Last betting round The betting advance as before.
11. Showdown If more than one player reaches this stage, all remaining players show their hands. The first bettor or last raiser shows first, and then only those who beat that hand (for any part of the pot) has to show. The best ranked high hand wins the high half of the pot. The best ranked (qualifying) low hand wins the low half of the pot.

Example

Player As pocket cards

Player Bs pocket cards

The Board


Now in order to create a hand, a player must use precisely two hole cards with three board cards, once for each part of the pot. Therefore player A does not have a flush, as that hand includes three hole cards. Player As best high hand is a two pair, utilizing the 2 together with the best kicker holecard the A. Player B uses the pair of kings in the pocket to create a better two pair, with the pair of fives on the board, to win the high part of the pot.

Player As final high hand

Player Bs final high hand


For the low half of the pot, player A makes a eight high. While player B does not qualify for the low half of the pot. The best low hand that player B can create is a queen low hand, but that is not a qualifying low hand as a qualifying low hand must consist of five differently ranked cards with the highest card not being higher than an eight. In this case player B does not have enough cards eight or lower to create a low hand. At other times a player might have enough cards, among the nine available, but still not qualify as two and only two cards from the hand may be used. Consider what would have happened if the river had come J. Then the board had only contained two differently ranked cards eight or lower and no one could make a qualifying low hand. Then player B would take the whole pot, as it is in this scenario player A has the best low hand and player B the best high hand and the pot is split.

Player As final qualifying low hand

Player Bs final non-qualifying low hand

In Depth Issues

Odd chip When the pot is split, there are sometimes an odd chip left over. First off, any leftover odd chip goes to the high half of the pot. If two or more players tie for the high side of the pot and there is an odd chip, the player with the highest card in their hand is awarded the odd chip. If they have the same high valued cards, the suit takes preference going from spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs. When two or more low hands split the lower half of the pot, the odd chip in this half goes to the player with the lowest card by suit, thus in the order: clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades.