Omaha Hi/Lo Poker

Owing to its frequently large pots, Omaha Hi/Lo has quickly become a hugely popular game in North America and Europe. Each player in an Omaha Hi/Lo game is dealt four cards ("hole cards") which belong only to that player. Five community cards are dealt face-up on the "board". All players use two cards from their four hole cards in conjunction with three cards from the board to make the best five-card poker hand possible. The pot is divided between the best hand for high and the best hand for low. To view the rankings of poker hands for both high and low, visit our hand ranks page. Note that Omaha Hi/Lo is played with an "8 or better" qualifier, which means that a hand must be, at worst, an 8 for low to be eligible to win the low portion of the pot.

In Omaha Hi/Lo, a disc also known as "the button", serves to indicate which player is the nominal dealer for the current game. Before the game begins, the player immediately clockwise the button posts the "small blind", typically half a small bet (for example, €1 in a €2/€4 game). The player immediately clockwise the small blind posts the "big blind", which is always a full small bet (€2 in a €2/€4 game). Now, each player receives his or her four hole cards. Betting action proceeds around the table, starting with the player on the immediately clockwise the big blind. Possible actions are now fold , bet, call and raise.

Now, the "flop" is dealt face-up on the board. The flop is the first three community cards available to all active players. Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise the button. All bets and raises occur in small bets (increments of €2 in a €2/€4 game).

When betting action is completed for the flop round, the "turn" is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community card in an Omaha Hi/Lo game. Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise the button. On this round, betting doubles from the small bet to the big bet. In a €2/€4 game, betting on the turn is done in €4 increments.

When betting action is completed for the turn round, the "river" is dealt face-up on the board. The river is the fifth and final community card in an Omaha Hi/Lo game. Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise the button.

If there is more than one remaining player when the final betting round is complete, the last bettor or raiser shows his or her cards. If there was no bet on the final round, the player immediately clockwise the button shows his or her cards first. The player with the best five-card hand for high wins half the pot, and the player with the best hand for low wins the other half. In Omaha, players must use two and only two of their four hole cards in combination with three cards from the board. In the event of identical hands, the high and low shares of the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands. In the event that no hand qualifies for low, the best hand(s) for high wins the pot.

After the pot is awarded, a new game of Omaha Hi/Lo is ready to begin. The button now moves clockwise to the next player.

Betting in Limit Omaha Hi/Lo is in pre-determined, structured amounts. Pre-flop and on the flop, all bets and raises are of the same amount as the big blind. On the turn and the river, the size of all bets and raises doubles. In Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, up to four bets are allowed per player during each betting round. This includes a (1) bet, (2) raise, (3) re-raise, and (4) cap (final raise).

The minimum bet in Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo is the same as the size of the big blind, but players can always bet up to the size of the pot.

Minimum raise: The raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round. As an example, if the first player to act bets €5 then the second player must raise a minimum of €5 (total bet of €10).

Maximum raise: The size of the pot, which is defined as the total of the active pot, plus all bets on the table, plus the amount the active player must first call before raising.

In Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, there is no 'cap' on the number of raises allowed.

The minimum bet in No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo is the same as the size of the big blind, but players can always bet as much more as they want, up to all of their chips.

Minimum raise: In No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, the raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round. As an example, if the first player to act bets €5 then the second player must raise a minimum of €5 (total bet of €10).

Maximum raise: The size of your stack (your chips on the table). In No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, there is no 'cap' on the number of raises allowed.

In Mixed Omaha, the game switches between rounds of Limit Omaha Hi-Lo and Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo. The betting rules on each round follow the rules for that game.

Mixed Omaha ring games are just like other ring games in one respect: the blinds stay the same. But the game changes on a set schedule, usually every round. For example, at a 8-handed table, Limit Omaha Hi-Lo is played for 8 hands, followed by Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo for 8 hands, then the rotation starts over getting back again to Limit Omaha Hi-Lo and so on.

In Mixed Omaha tournaments, the rotation schedules a cycle of Limit Omaha Hi-Lo followed by Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, with each game being played a set and equal amount of time. You can check which game is currently being played by looking at the top of the table window at any time.