5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo Poker
Think you’ve got the best hand? In 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo, there’s more than one way to take a portion of the pot. This action-packed Omaha variant gives you a shot at winning with the highest hand, the lowest qualifying hand, or both.
Every player receives five private cards, known as hole cards, and shares five community cards dealt face-up on the board. To make your hand, you must use exactly two of your hole cards and three community cards. No more, no less.
The pot is split between the best high hand and the best qualifying low hand. Get the best of both, and you scoop the whole pot. If no qualifying low hand is made, the best high hand takes it all.
The lowdown on low hands
5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo uses an 8-or-better rule. To qualify for the low half of the pot, your five-card hand must contain five different card ranks, all eight or lower.
Low hands follow the Ace-to-Five, or California, ranking system. Aces count as low, while straights and flushes don’t count against you. That means the best possible low hand is the wheel: 5, 4, 3, 2, A.
Low hands are ranked from the highest card down. For example, a Six-low beats a Seven-low, while a Six-Four low beats a Six-Five low. The lower your highest card, the stronger your low hand.
And here’s where things get interesting: a hand that qualifies as both a straight or flush for high and a strong low hand can put you in prime position to scoop the pot. Just remember, you can use different combinations of your hole cards for your high and low hands, but you must always use exactly two hole cards and three community cards for each.
Choose your game
Pick the betting structure that suits your style:
- Limit 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo: Bets and raises follow fixed amounts, with limits set for each betting round.
- Pot Limit 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo: Bet up to the size of the pot. The bigger the pot, the bigger the potential action.
- No Limit 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo: Bet any amount up to your entire stack. Every decision counts.
How to play 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo
1. Post the blinds and get dealt in
The dealer button marks the nominal dealer position. Before the cards are dealt, the player to the left of the button posts the small blind, followed by the big blind. The size of the blinds depends on the stakes and betting structure.
Each player receives five hole cards, and the first betting round begins with the player to the left of the big blind.
2. Pre-flop: Make your move
Look at your hole cards and decide whether to fold, call or raise. Betting moves clockwise around the table until all remaining players have matched the bets.
3. The flop: Three cards hit the board
The first three community cards are dealt face-up. It’s time to assess your high and low possibilities before another round of betting begins.
4. The turn: One more card
The fourth community card arrives. Reassess your hand, consider what your opponents could be holding and get ready for the next betting round.
5. The river: The final card
The fifth and final community card is dealt. One last round of betting gives players the chance to make their move before the showdown.
6. Showdown: Split it or scoop it
If two or more players remain, the hands are revealed. The best high hand wins half the pot, and the best qualifying low hand wins the other half. If there’s no qualifying low, the high hand wins the entire pot. Identical winning hands share the relevant portion of the pot equally.
Once the pot is awarded, the dealer button moves clockwise and the next hand begins.
Know your betting limits
The rules of 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo stay the same across all three betting structures, but the betting limits change:
- Limit: Bets and raises are fixed. Pre-flop and on the flop, the big blind sets the betting increment. On the turn and river, that increment doubles. Up to four bets are allowed per player in each betting round.
- Pot Limit: The minimum bet is the big blind, and the maximum bet is the current pot size. Raises must meet the minimum raise requirement, with no cap on the number of raises.
- No Limit: The minimum bet is the big blind, and you can bet up to your entire stack. Minimum raises must match or exceed the previous bet or raise, with no cap on the number of raises.
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Whether you’re new to Omaha or looking to mix up your poker game, 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo brings an extra layer of strategy to every hand. Learn to spot your high and low opportunities, sharpen your decisions and see if you can scoop the pot.
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