Omaha Hi Lo: Fundamental Summary
by Kole on Tuesday, November 11th, 2025
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha hi-low begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants often get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same concept in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, following a few rounds you will be able to get the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming collection of betting options and seeing that you have several players trying for the high, and several trying for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.
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