What Is Omaha Hi/Lo ?
Omaha Hi/Lo is a variation of Omaha OKVIP. It is also known as ‘Omaha High Low‘, ‘Omaha H/L‘, ‘Omaha/8‘ or ‘Omaha 8-or-better‘. The number of trump cards dealt to each player in Omaha Hi/Lo is the same as Omaha OKVIP which is 4 cards. And players can only use 3 cards in the 5 community cards combined with 2 of their 4 trump cards to create a 5-card combination with the highest or lowest hand rank.
The pot is divided between the best hand for high and the best hand for low.
Hands considered low hand in Omaha Hi/Lo must consist of five different cards – ranked eighth or lower. It is therefore also known as ‘Omaha/8’ or ‘Omaha 8-or-better’.
In the event there is no qualifying low hand, the high hand wins the entire bet.
Omaha Hi/Lo uses the ‘Ace to Five’ or ‘California’ system for ranking low hands. Straights and flushes do not count against a hand, and Aces are always low in reading the low hand, so the best possible hand is a “wheel”: 5, 4, 3, 2, A. To help understand the ranks of low hands, let take a look at the following example:
- 8, 7, 6, 5, 4
- 8, 7, 6, 5, 3
- 8, 6, 4, 2, A
- 8, 4, 3, 2, A
- 7, 6, 5, 4, 2
- 7, 6, 5, 2, A
- 7, 5, 4, 3, 2
- 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
- 6, 4, 3, 2, A
- 5, 4, 3, 2, A
In order from top to bottom, the hands are ranked from least powerful to most powerful.
Note that a low hand is always ranked from its highest card downwards. So for example, hand #9 is known as a ‘Six-low’ because its highest card is a Six. Hand #5 is a ‘Seven-low’, and Hand #1 is an ‘Eight-low’. In poker slang, you distinguish between close low hands by going further down the ranks, so hand #9 would be called a ‘Six-Four low’, which beats hand #8, a ‘Six-Five low’.
Also remember that straights and flushes do not count against your low hand, so making a qualifying low that is also a straight or a flush is a very powerful hand, that could win both the high and low halves of the pot. That’s called a ‘scoop’.
Types And Rules Of Omaha Hi/Lo
- Omaha Hi/Lo also has similar types to Omaha OKVIP such as: No Limit, Pot Limit, Fixed Limit.
- The playing rules of Omaha Hi/Lo are no different from Omaha OKVIP. You can find out information here.
Hand Ranking In Omaha Hi/Lo
High Hand Ranking
High hand ranking in Omaha Hi/Lo will be similar to Texas Hold’em and Omaha OKVIP’s high hand rankings.
Low Hand Ranking
This method of ranking low hands is used in traditional Hi/Lo games, like Omaha Hi/Lo and Stud Hi/Lo, as well as in Razz, the ‘low only’ Stud game.
Note that suits are irrelevant for Ace to Five low. A flush or straight does not ‘break’ an Ace to Five low poker hand. Aces are always a ‘low’ card when considering a low hand.
Please also note that the value of a five-card low hand starts with the top card, and goes down from there.
- Five Low, or Wheel: The Five, Four, Three, Deuce and Ace.
In the event of a tie: All Five-high hands split the pot.
- Six Low: Any five unpaired cards with the highest card being a Six.
In the event of a tie: The lower second-highest ranking card wins the pot. Thus 6,4,3,2,A defeats 6,5,4,2,A. If necessary, the third-highest, fourth-highest and fifth-highest cards in the hand can be used to break the tie.
- Seven Low: Any five unpaired cards with the highest card being a Seven.
In the event of a tie: The lower second-highest ranking card wins the pot. If necessary, the third-highest, fourth-highest and fifth-highest cards in the hand can be used to break the tie.
- Eight Low: Any five unpaired cards with the highest card being an Eight. Eight Low is the weakest hand that qualifies for low in Omaha Hi/Lo
In the event of a tie: The lower second-highest ranking card wins the pot. Eight Low is the weakest hand that qualifies for low in Omaha Hi/Lo. If necessary, the third-highest, fourth-highest and fifth-highest cards in the hand can be used to break the tie.
Play Omaha Hi/Lo For Free At OKVIP
Play Omaha Hi/Lo For Free At OKVIPYou can play Omaha Hi/Lo completely free at OKVIP with Cash Game Play Money tables. This is great for you if you want to learn or improve your skills in this game.
In addition, you can also try the Omaha 5-Card game. Wishing you have wonderful moments of experience with OKVIP!
