Omaha Hi-Lo Poker Rules
Omaha Hi-Lo is an exciting split pot poker game that is a derivation of the popular Omaha (or Omaha High) game. Also known as O8 or Omaha Eight or Better, this game awards half the pot for the best high hand and half the pot for the best low hand. Players are dealt four cards and must engage in rigorous hand selection while making strategic decisions to give themselves the best chance of winning the entire pot. The game commonly uses a Fixed Limit betting structure but can also be played in Pot Limit and No Limit varieties, adding an extra dimension to the game’s strategy. Omaha Hi-Lo is popular in both tournaments and cash games and is often featured as part of mixed games such as H.O.R.S.E and 8-game mixes.
The Rules Of Omaha Hi-Lo
Omaha Hi-Lo Poker is commonly played with between 2-9 players, but the game allows for a total of 11 players at any one time. To start the game, you need a standard 52-card deck with the jokers removed, and a small token to act as the dealer button.
Players are dealt four cards face-down, starting with the player to the left of the button. Once the cards have been dealt, the preflop betting round starts with the player to the left of the big blind. During the preflop betting round, players have three actions:
- Fold – The player declines to call or raise and releases their hand, giving up any possibility of winning the pot.
- Call – The player matches the amount of the last bet made.
- Raise – The player increases the amount of the last bet made.
The preflop betting round is complete when all remaining players have matched the previous bet, or if only one player remains in the hand. If only one player is left in the hand, that player wins the pot, and a new hand begins.
Once the preflop betting round is complete, the first three community cards, called the flop, are dealt face-up in the middle of the table. The flop betting round begins with the player to the left of the dealer button. During the flop betting round, players have four actions:
- Check – The player declines to make a bet but does not release their hand; the action moves to the player on the left. If the player is last to act, the betting round is complete.
- Bet – The player makes a wager; this bet must be at least the size of 1bb.
- Raise – The player increases the size of the previous bet.
- Fold – The player declines to call or raise and releases their hand, giving up any possibility of winning the pot.
These four actions remain the same for all proceeding betting rounds. The flop betting round ends when all players have matched the previous bet or if there is only one player remaining in the hand.
At the end of the flop betting round the fourth community card, called the turn, is dealt face-up in the middle of the table. The turn betting round begins with the player to the left of the button. Once the turn betting round is complete the fifth and final community card, called the river, is dealt face-up in the middle of the table. A final round of betting takes place. If two or more players remain in the hand at the end of the river betting round, the players must show down their hands.
Showdown
In Omaha Hi-Lo, the pot is split equally between the high hand and the low hand. The high-hand half of the pot uses the traditional poker hand rankings that are used in Texas Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha, but the low-hand half of the pot uses an alternative poker hand ranking system. To win the low hand, players must have five unique cards that are eight or lower. For the purposes of this game, aces are both high and low.
Like in Omaha, players must use two cards from their hand and three from the board when making their high and low hand. However, players can choose different cards when declaring their high and low hands.
For example, if a player has Ah2h9s8c with a board of 7d6cTh4h2c, their high hand can use the 9s8c to make a straight, and their low hand can use their Ah2h to make a low of 7d6c4h2hAh.
Straights and flushes do not count against the player in this game, meaning that the best five-card low hand is 5432A. The player with the lowest high card wins the low-hand half of the pot; a 76543 would beat an 8432A. If more than one player has the same high card, the tie is determined by the second card; 75432 would beat 76543.
In some hands, it isn’t possible for a low-hand to be made. For example, if the board reads QhQdJc7d8c, there aren’t enough cards below 8 to make the low hand possible. In these instances, the entire pot is given to the winner of the high hand.
If a player wins both the high and the low half of the pot, it is called a “scoop.”
Quartering
You may encounter an instance where one player wins one half of the pot outright but splits the other half of the pot with another player. This is called “quartering,” as one player wins ¾ of the pot whereas the other player only wins ¼ rather than the ½ they were expecting.
For example, Player A has As2cJsTc and Player B has Ad2hQcQd on a board of 3s7c8d9dKd. Both players reach a showdown and turn their hands over. Player A wins the high half of the pot outright with his jack-high straight (7c8d9dTcJs). However, both players have the same low hand (8d7c3s2A). In this instance, both players split the low half of the pot equally, as they both have the same hand. Therefore, Player A ends up with ¾ of the pot, and Player B ends up with ¼ of the pot.
Being quartered is never a good experience in Omaha Hi-Lo and can be costly if it happens too often!
What Are The Main Differences Between Omaha Hi-Lo and Omaha Poker?
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or Better) is an off-shoot of the popular Omaha poker game with two key differences. The first difference is how the pot is awarded. Rather than giving the whole pot to the player with the best hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo, the pot is split into two equal parts; one part going to the player with the best high hand and the other half going to the player with the best low hand.
The high hand is awarded to the player with the best five-card poker hand based on the traditional poker hand ranking system. The low hand is awarded to the player with the five lowest cards that are eight or lower. If it is not possible for a low hand to be made (for example, when the community cards are all above 8, then the whole pot goes to the player with the best high hand.
The second difference is in the betting structure. Omaha Hi-Lo is commonly played as a Limit game, meaning that players can only bet or raise specific amounts on each street. Omaha poker, on the other hand, is most commonly played as a pot-limit game.
Due to these differences in rules, you’ll find that the strategies used in Omaha Hi-Lo and Omaha poker are quite different from one another.
Best Omaha Hi-Lo Starting Hands
Since the goal of the game is to scoop both halves of the pot, the best starting hands in Omaha Hi-Lo vary quite a bit from games like Pot Limit Omaha. While AAKK double-suited is the best hand in PLO, in Omaha Hi-Lo, you want some low cards in addition to your high ones to try and win both halves of the pot. Double pairs aren’t worth as much in this game, but double-suited connectors go up in value.
AA23 double-suited is considered the best Omaha Hi-Lo starting hand out there as not only do you have a pair of aces and two flush draws possible, but you also have three different outstanding low card combinations. You have A2, A3, and 23 that you can use to draw a low hand with. The next best starting hand would be AA24 double suited followed by AA23 suited. A pair of aces with two cards below six is a highly potent hand that warrants playing aggressively for optimal returns. A suited hand is superior, but an unsuited hand still holds considerable strength.
Remember, the name of the game is to get the best possible high hand and low hand. If your cards are suited, that means you’re getting chances of a flush draw added to your high-hand equity. Being double-suited gives you two chances to make a flush, enhancing its potential.
It’s also important to remember that Omaha is a game of “the nuts”. For those unfamiliar, “the nuts” is the best hand possible on the available board. The game gets dangerous when you start playing marginal hands or only playing a good low or high hand, as there’s a possibility of getting scooped by your opponentoponent.
For example, while A2 offers the strongest low hand potential among two-card combinations, playing it might lead to losses without double-suited or supporting good pairs. This is because there’s always the chance that your opponent also has A2 along with their high hand, so when you reach showdown, your opponent will wint the high half of the pot outright, while splitting the low half of the pot with you. This is called being “quartered” as you only win ¼ of the pot.
Likewise, hands that are strong in Hold’em like pocket jacks or queens can be deceptive in Omaha if you don’t have a good accompanying set of low cards or suited connectors. This is due to straights and flushes regularly overpowering strong pairs in Omaha, and in Omaha Hi-Lo.
Omaha Hi-Lo Betting
Omaha Hi-Lo is typically played as a limit game. That means that there are betting limits that dictate how much players can bet. If you’re playing a cash game, the limits are static, while if you’re playing in tournaments, they rise consistently as the blind levels increase.
If, for example, you’re playing a $2/$4 limit game, that means the big bet is $4 and the small bet is $2. The big blind is also the size of the small bet. So in this case the big blind is $2 and the small blind is $1.
In the preflop betting round, all of the betting is done in increments of the small bet. With the example above, that means a player can raise the bet from $2 to $4 and only $4, and a re-raise would be to $6. Action is usually capped at four bets. That means a bet, a raise, a re-raise, and a cap. There can be no more betting after the cap, only a call or a fold.
Betting follows the same sequence after the flop, except this time action starts to the button’s left. Once more, the size of the small bet, $2 in this example, dictates the action. Once more, the action reaches a cap at the fourth bet, which is $8.
The turn betting round uses the big bet sizing, which is $4 in our continuing example. This means that the initial bet starts out at $4 and any raise adds $4 to the bet. This brings a capped bet up to $16. After completing the turn action, players proceed to the river, which constitutes another significant betting round. This implies bets increase by $4, and action reaches a cap of $16.
You’ll often encounter Omaha Hi-Lo in limit form, but there are some casinos and online poker rooms where you’ll find pot-limit or no-limit Omaha Hi-Lo. However, these online poker sites are the exceptions to the rule. In those cases, there are no caps. Playing pot-limit restricts betting to the pot’s size. In no-limit, as the name implies, there is absolutely zero limit to how much you can bet at any point in the hand.
Omaha Hi-Lo Strategy
As we mentioned earlier, the goal of the game is to scoop the high and low halves of the pot. Playing for just half the pot can be is acceptable in later streets after it becomes clear there’s no low hand or if you miss a draw to the high hand, but we don’t recommend it. With numerous possible two-card holdings, if a favorable draw appears on the board, chances are high that someone possesses it.
That’s why at the start of each hand you should always be trying to play for the scoop. This starts with altering your hand selection to what we described above. When you get to the flop, you have to get good at reading your hand. This sounds simple, but it can get confusing when you realize you have six different combinations in your hand that you can use to connect to the board. Numerous novice players either fold winning hands or misinterpret their hands, leading to bets with weak hands or folds with strong hands.
Since each player holds numerous possibilities, it’s likely that someone connected with the flop. If there’s a flush or straight draw, chances are someone might have it. If there’s a pair on the board, it’s likely someone has trips. That means if you didn’t connect with the flop or it didn’t give you a chance to draw to the nuts, it’s best to give up your hand.
Because someone at the table so often has the nuts or isare drawing to it, bluffing isn’t a great strategy in Omaha Hi-Lo. That’s not to say there’s no place for it, but you have to be much more prudent with your bluffs. Once you’ve grasped their playing style and behavior, these strategies are more effective against individual players.
The flop is also where a low hand can go to die. Remember you need five cards lower than an 8 to make a low hand. So even if you have A2 in your hand, if the flop brings three cards higher than ana 8, then your chances of getting a low hand are dead. If there are two high cards on the board, then you might want to pump the brakes a bit if you have a great low hand but a marginal high hand.
In these situations, it would be best to see a cheap turn card and try to improve to a low draw before bumping up the aggression. Additionally, bluffs work better when there’s no qualifying low hand because there are fewer opportunities for your opponents to win. Having a shot at half the pot is more than enough for most players to stick around or call a bluff.
While these are basic strategies, the most impactful approach is observing opponents and adjusting your strategy to capitalize on their weaknesses. When you observe tight players on your left, adjust by raising more with marginal hands when action comes to you. You’ll often win, and when they resist, you’ll identify strong hands, allowing you to fold accordingly. That’s just one example, use this to build a foundation and adapt it to your opponents.
Common Omaha Hi-Lo Mistakes
When playing Omaha Hi-Lo for the first time, it’s easy to make mistakes. The game is much more complicated than popular games like Texas Hold’em, as there are two halves of the pot to worry about and rules about how you can use your cards! To help you out, we’ve covered the most common Omaha Hi-Lo mistakes made by beginners so you can avoid them when you start playing.
Misreading Your Hand
There’s a lot to keep track of when playing Omaha Hi-Lo; your opponent’s range, the betting action, and the community cards, as well as what your own hand is. Sometimes, understanding what your own hand is can be difficult, especially if you’re new to the game.
It’s OK to take the time to figure out what your hand is before you act, so don’t rush into your decision for the sake of not wanting to hold up the game. Take a beat, look to work out your best high hand and best low hand using two cards from your hand and three from the board, then make your decision.
Playing For Half The Pot
Omaha Hi-Lo is a split pot game, giving you two chances to win in each hand. However, the best strategy is to play for the whole pot as often as possible. This means playing hands that are capable of winning both the high and low halves of the pot.
Too many beginners play hands that are only capable of winning one half of the pot, which severely limits their options postflop. A lot of the time you’ll end up having to check/fold as the cards on the flop aren’t what you need to make your hand, which will end up costing you in the long run. Even if you do make your hand, there’s a chance that your opponent has the same hand as you, leaving you quartered.
Drawing To Non-Nut Hands
Another common mistake that beginners make is drawing to hands that aren’t the nuts. This is particularly common for No Limit Hold’em players, as they’re used to non-nut flushes and straights being strong hands. However, in Omaha Hi-Lo, players have twice as many cards, making it far more likely that someone has the nuts.
Drawing to weak flushes and low straights will cost you significantly when playing Omaha Hi-Lo; even when you make your hand, you may end up losing a considerable pot. We recommend playing non-nut draws very cautiously, and don’t be afraid to fold if players start making big bets.
Not Adjusting Your Preflop Ranges
Omaha Hi-Lo is played similarly to Texas Hold’em and PLO in that the game uses a blind structure and has the same table positions (UTG, HJ, BTN, etc.) This means that you need to adjust your preflop ranges based on your position. When you’re in early position, you need to tighten up your range as there are more players left to act after you. However, when you get closer to the button, you can afford to widen your preflop range to try and steal the blinds.
Summary
Omaha Hi-Low is an exciting poker variant that gives players two ways to win the pot; the high half and the low half. Learning to play for both the low and high half of the pot can be confusing for Texas Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha players, but once you’re familiar with the strategy, you’ll see just how interesting this game can be. Now that you’re armed with the knowledge of how to play Omaha Hi-Lo Poker, as well as the best starting hands and basic strategy, why not test out your new-found skills at the tables?
FAQs
Yes, Omaha is probably the second-most popular type of poker at the World Series of Poker after Texas Hold’em. There are several Omaha events every year including a mixed Omaha event that has Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, Omaha Hi-Lo and Big O, which is five card Omaha Hi-Lo. The 2023 WSOP had five Omaha Hi-Lo tournaments so check out our WSOP schedule if you want more details.
As we mentioned before there are several different Omaha variants. The most popular is Pot-Limit Omaha. We’ve written a guide just like this one for new players so check it out if you’ve been enjoying Omaha Hi-Lo. If this guide piqued your interest and you want to learn about other kinds of poker variants, head on over to our poker games online page to learn how to play everything from Mississippi Stud to 2-7 Triple Draw.
The internet is chock full of resources when it comes to Omaha Hi-Lo strategy. If you just google any concept like “Omaha Hi-Lo post-flop strategy” you’ll get a ton of articles to scour through. If you want to talk through your hands, then forums like TwoPlusTwo are great places to discuss hands with other players. There are also a ton of great online coaching sites filled with videos and one-on-one coaching to help you improve your game. If you like to sit down with a book instead, then “Scoop! Big O and PLO8: Winning High Low Concepts for the Hold’em Mind” is widely considered to be ones out there.
That’s a question that can cause fights in some poker rooms. Phil Galfond is a legendary Omaha beast, not only has he won a WSOP PLO bracelet, he won the 2018 WSOP Omaha Hi-Lo Championship for $568,000. If you go by overall WSOP cashes, then Scott Clements would be the top performing Omaha Hi-Lo player with $1,109,333 in cashes at the WSOP. Then there’s also the reigning 2021 WSOP Omaha Hi-Lo Champion, Ari Engel who took down the bracelet and more than $300,000.
There are tons of places to play Omaha Hi-Lo. If you’re looking to play live, you could look up your local casino and see if they offer any cash game or tournaments. But if you don’t want to leave your house to try the game out, we have you covered. We’ve spent years reviewing the best online poker sites out there and have nitpicked every single detail to give you a comprehensive breakdown of every site. If you’re looking for the perfect one to play Omaha Hi-Lo, then head on over to our reviews page to find one that works for you.
