Omaha Hi/Lo Poker

Omaha Hi/Lo (known also as Omaha Eight or Better, Omaha High/Low, or PLO8) is a bit trickier to learn than Omaha High because it’s a split pot game. This means that the best high hand and the best low hand (if one qualifies) will split the pot when the hand is concluded. Although many novice poker players may be confused by hi/lo games, the rules are really quite simple once you learn them.

High and Low Hands

In Omaha Hi/Lo, players are attempting to make both traditional high hands and also low hands. An important concept to grasp is that players are only able to make a low if their five-card poker hand consists of no card higher than an eight (hence the name ‘Eight or Better’) and also contains no pairs.

In order for there to be a qualifying low, there must be three or more community cards on the board that are no higher than an eight. If a qualifying low hand is not possible, players compete for only a high hand.

When making a low hand in Omaha Hi/Lo, flushes and straights are ignored. Therefore, the best hand possible is what’s known as a ‘wheel’: A, 2, 3, 4, 5. Aces are extremely valuable in split pot games, as they can be used as both high and low cards. Because players are dealt four hole cards in Omaha, they may choose to use two cards to create a low hand and two different cards to create a high hand.

See the detailed poker hand rankings page for the rankings of high hands as well as the rankings for qualifying low hands. Understand this hierarchy and you’ll be on the right track to great hi/lo play.

Chopping, Splitting and Scooping Pots

As mentioned, Omaha Hi/Lo is a split pot game, but the pot is only shared (or ‘chopped’) if there is a qualifying low. If this is the case, the best high hand will take half the pot and the best low hand will receive the other half. If there is no qualifying low, the high hand will be awarded the entire pot.

Occasionally two hands will tie for the high or the low (or both), in which case the pot is then split up accordingly; sometimes a player will receive a quarter of the pot (referred to as ‘getting quartered’). Players who receive less than half the pot will often lose money or break even on the hand.

The best-case scenario for a player in Omaha High/Low is to make a hand that qualifies for the high as well as the low, or the best high hand with no qualifying low. In these instances, they will be awarded the entire pot, which is called ‘scooping the pot’.

Omaha Hi/Lo Betting

Omaha Hi/Lo can be played with several betting formats, all offered on PokerStars:

Limit Omaha Hi/Lo - This is the most popular way to play Omaha Hi/Lo. Players are restricted to betting in specific increments, called betting limits.
No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo - Because there is no limit to the bet amounts, this is a game with a great deal of action and will often produce large pots. Players may bet any amount, up to the size of their chip stack.
Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo - Players are allowed to bet any amount up to the size of the current pot at the time their wager is placed.
Mixed Omaha Hi/Lo - This variation of PLO8 alternates between Pot Limit and Limit. Blinds in the Limit rounds are increased to keep the size of the game consistent.

See the Texas Hold’em page for more details on poker betting formats.

How to Play Omaha Hi/Lo

A full Omaha Hi/Lo table will typically seat six, nine or ten players. A small circular marker, called the dealer button, sits in front of one player and is moved one seat clockwise after each hand is completed.

Like Texas Hold’em, PLO8 forces the two players seated to the immediate left of the dealer button to post a small and big blind before the cards are dealt. These blinds are forced bets that determine the amount required to enter the pot before the flop, and also help seed the pot. The small blind is usually equal to half the big blind and, in a limit game, the big blind is usually equal to the size of the small bet.

Players have the option to check, bet, call (if a bet has been made), raise (again, only if a bet has been made), or fold, which forfeits their hand and any money they have already put into the pot. These choices depend on what action they are facing from their opponents.

Omaha Hi/Lo Preflop Action

Once the small and big blinds are posted, each player is dealt four cards, face down. These cards remain private during the play of the hand and cannot be viewed by other players. Beginning with the player seated to the immediate left of the big blind and continuing clockwise, everyone at the table will have a chance to act on their hand.

The first player to act must either call the amount of the big blind, raise, or fold. The players who are seated in the blinds are the last to act preflop, and will forfeit their blinds if they chose to fold at any time.

Omaha Hi/Lo Flop Action

Once the preflop action is completed, three cards are dealt face up in the center of the table. These three cards make up the Flop, and are the first of a maximum five community cards that will be dealt. These cards are shared among all players to create their hands. Once the Flop is dealt, there is a round of betting, beginning with the first active player to the left of the dealer button. The action continues clockwise until all players have acted on their hands.

Omaha Hi/Lo Turn Action

After the Flop betting round is completed, another single community card is dealt on the board. This card is called the Turn, or Fourth Street. Betting continues in the same clockwise fashion until all players have acted on their hands.

Omaha Hi/Lo River Action

The last community card is called the River, or Fifth Street. Like the Flop and the Turn, the River can be seen by all players and will be the final card dealt in the current hand. There is one more round of betting before the hand is completed and the pot is awarded to a winner (or winners).

Omaha Hi/Lo Showdown

If there are at least two players remaining at the completion of the last betting round, a Showdown is required to determine how the pot will be awarded. In order to win all or a portion of the pot, players must expose their hole cards to compare their hands. The pot is awarded appropriately and the next hand begins.

If there is only one player remaining at any time during the hand before the last betting round is completed, that player will be awarded the pot, there will be no showdown, and the next hand will begin.

Start Playing Omaha Hi/Lo

You’ve studied the rules for making high and low hands, and you want to scoop some pots. Download the free PokerStars software to start playing Omaha Hi/Lo. You can practice the game at our play-money tables. And when you’re ready, you can start playing this fascinating Omaha variation for real money.