Omaha Hi Lo: Fundamental Summary
Posted in Omaha on 09/13/2025 01:25 pm by Luna
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants can get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t 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 smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
Although it seems complex at first, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an amazing array of wagering options and because you have many individuals trying for the high, as well as several battling for the low. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.