Omaha Hi/Lo Poker
Welcome to Omaha Hi/Lo, a poker variant known for its potential for large pots and its split-pot format. Also called Omaha High Low, Omaha H/L, Omaha/8 or Omaha 8-or-better, the game gives players the chance to win the high half, low half, or both halves of the pot.
Omaha Hi/Lo a popular poker variant where the pot is split between the best high hand and the best qualifying low hand. Each player receives four hole cards and must use exactly two with three community cards to make each five-card hand. Players can use different hole-card combinations for their high and low hands.
A qualifying low hand must contain five different cards ranked eight or lower. Aces count as low, and straights and flushes do not affect low-hand rankings. The best possible low hand is 5-4-3-2-A, known as the wheel. If no qualifying low hand exists, the best high hand wins the entire pot.
Low hands are ranked by comparing their highest cards first, followed by the next-highest cards. Winning both the high and low portions of the pot is called a scoop. For more details, see our poker hand rankings guide.
Omaha Hi/Lo game formats
Choose from different betting structures:
- Limit Omaha Hi/Lo – Betting amounts are fixed for each game and betting round.
- Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo – Bets can be made up to the current size of the pot.
- No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo – Players can bet up to all the chips they have available.
- Mixed Omaha Hi/Lo – The game alternates between Limit and Pot Limit. Blinds increase when the game moves from Pot Limit to Limit to keep stake levels consistent.
How a hand is played
The button identifies the nominal dealer. The player clockwise from the button posts the small blind, followed by the big blind. The big blind is typically twice the small blind, although blind sizes can vary by stakes and betting structure.
Each player then receives four hole cards. Betting starts with the player immediately clockwise from the big blind and continues clockwise.
Pre-flop: Players can fold, call or raise. Betting continues until all active players have placed equal bets in the pot.
Flop: Three community cards are dealt face-up. Another betting round follows, starting with the active player immediately clockwise from the button.
Turn: A fourth community card is dealt, followed by another betting round.
River: The fifth and final community card is dealt, followed by the final betting round.
Showdown
If more than one player remains after the final betting round, the last player to bet or raise shows first. If there was no bet on the final round, the player immediately clockwise from the button shows first.
The best qualifying high hand wins half the pot, while the best qualifying low hand wins the other half. If hands are identical, the relevant share is divided equally. If no low qualifies, the best high hand or hands win the entire pot.
Once the pot is awarded, the button moves clockwise and the next hand begins.
Betting rules by format
Limit: Pre-flop and flop bets and raises are the size of the big blind. Turn and river bets and raises are double that amount. Up to four bets are allowed per player per betting round: bet, raise, re-raise and cap.
Pot Limit: The minimum bet is the big blind, while the maximum bet is the size of the pot. There is no cap on the number of raises.
No Limit: The minimum bet is the big blind, while players can bet up to their entire stack. There is no cap on the number of raises.
The software only allows amounts within the applicable minimum and maximum limits.
If you're new to Omaha Hi/Lo, take time to get familiar with the rules and betting structure before playing. You can also explore other Hi/Lo variants, including Stud Hi/Lo.
Play Omaha Hi-Lo at PokerStars on Betfair
Learn Omaha Hi/Lo for free to practise your skills before playing for real money, explore other variants like Stud Hi/Lo and Texas Hold’em.