Omaha Hi-Low: Basic Outline
by Bo on Tuesday, January 13th, 2026
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants often 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 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
While it seems complex initially, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of the game easily enough. 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 once, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing range of betting choices and because you have several individuals trying for the high, and a few battling for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.
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