Omaha Hi/Lo Rules

Here are the rules for Omaha Hi/Lo.

- Objective
- Cards Dealt
- Betting
- Hand Values

Objective :-

Omaha Hi/Lo has 2 objectives. A high and low pot. Unlike some other types of poker you MUST use 2 of your hole cards to win in Omaha Hi/Lo. Meaning you can only use 3 of the community cards to make your hand(s).

High Pot - The high pot plays like regular poker games. The person with the best hand will win this.

Low Pot - To enter the low pot you must have 5 cards 8 and below. Check out the Hand Values section to see how to win.


Cards Dealt :-

Each player at the table is dealt 4 cards before the first round of betting. Deal the small blind first and continue left until everyone has their cards.

Betting.

Burn a card and the Flop is then dealt to the board.

More betting.

Burn and deal Turn card.

More betting.

Burn and deal River card.

Final betting.


Betting :-

Betting structure in Omaha Hi/Lo is the same as Texas Hold'Em Poker. You can see how the betting occurs above. However Omaha Hi/Lo has some special rules for the size and number of bets allowed. They are as follows:

Round 1 - Round 1 of betting is played at the lower of the 2 blinds. If they were $10/$20 bets would be $10 only and a maximum of 4 raises is allowed. Making the maximum total bet for any round 1 at 4x SB or in this case $40.

Round 2 - Same as round one concerning the special rules. SB bet sizes only and a maximum of 4 raises.

Round 3 - After the turn card is dealt the betting changes. The bet size is the big blind then. In our example it would be $20 with a maximum of 4 raises. So the max bet size for round 3 is $80 in our example or 4x BB.

Round 4 - The final round of betting follows the same rules as round 3. 4 raises maximum at the BB size.


Hand Values :-

The total pot is split in half. Half going to the High pot winner and half to the low pot winner.

This will be divided into 2 sections as the 2 objectives follow different rules.
For both pots a player MUST use 2 hole cards to make their hand. You can use different hole cards or the same hole cards to make both hands.

High pot

Royal Flush - (A K Q J 10 of the same suit)
Straight Flush - ( 5 running cards of the same suit e.g. 4 5 6 7 8 of spades)
Quads - (4 of the same card e.g. 8 8 8 8 ... this can also be called 4 of a kind)
Full House - (Trips and a pair e.g. Q Q Q A A or 3 3 3 7 7)
Flush - (5 cards of the same suit)
Straight - (5 running cards e.g. 6 7 8 9 10)
Trips - (3 of the same card e.g. 6 6 6 or 5 5 5)
2 Pair
1 Pair

Kickers are used in the event of a tie.

Low pot

The low pot can only be won if a player has 5 non-paired cards 8 or below. If nobody has this the winner of the high pot will take the entire pot. Straights and flushes also do not count when concerned with the low pot.

A 2 3 4 5 - This is the best hand for the low pot.

All other hands are considered based on your highest low card. For example A 2 3 4 8 would not beat 2 3 4 5 7.

If both players have the same high card then the second highest card is taken into account. E.g. A 2 4 5 7 and A 2 3 4 7. The second player would win in this scenario.