Omaha Hi-Lo rules

If you have already managed to master the Pot Limit Omaha Poker, then it’s time to raise your level and switch to a new type of poker game. We will reveal the Omaha Hi-Lo rules to you so that you can apply your knowledge in virtual tournaments and win even more cash prizes.

Omaha Hi-Lo rules: what are the differences?

The Omaha Hi-Lo format is considered a kind of split pot poker, where players compete among themselves for the high and low half of the pot.

Omaha Hi-Lo rules are usually based on a game with fixed-limit bets. Mixed game formats are also often practiced, or, professionally speaking, H. O. R. S. E – the letter O stands for Omaha Hi-Lo here. In poker rooms tournaments and games for real money in the Pot Limit and Unlimited Omaha Hi-Lo formats are very popular.

Omaha Hi-lo Rules: how to play

The Omaha Hi-Lo rules are very similar to the Pot Limit Omaha rules. If you haven’t mastered this poker format yet, then be sure to read the detailed instructions on our website – Pot Limit Omaha rules.

So, the poker game begins with the dealer handing out four cards to the players, where two of them must be used to make a profitable combination (a hand of five cards) with three open cards on the poker board.

If, after the blinds, the players start to pass and discard the cards, the remaining player takes the entire pot without showing his hand. However, in the case of an announced bid at the last round of bidding and opening of cards, all participating hands are checked to understand who has a high and who has a low. Each of these hands takes half of the pot.

Omaha Hi-Lo Rules:

1. According to traditional ratings, the high hand in Omaha hi-Lo is determined in the same way as in other high poker games.
2. To build a Low hand, you must use a combination of a rating of 8 and below.
3. A Low hand should consist of 5 unpaired cards.
4. In the Low hand, an Ace is considered the lowest card.
5. In a High hand, an Ace is considered the highest card.
6. If the five lowest cards (from 8 and below) make up a Straight or Flush, then the hand will still be considered low.
7. The lowest hand consists of a 5-4-3-2-A combination. Then comes the 6-4-3-2-A combination. The worst low hand will look like 8-7-6-5-4.

Let’s practice a little and consider the classic example of the Omaha Hi-Lo game:

Imagine the last round:

• The following combination of cards is on the table: A♦6♣3♠K♦Q♦.
• You have four cards in your hands: A♣K♠7♦4♣.
• Your opponent has in his hands: Q♠J♦4♦2♠.

Your possible High hand will look like this: two pairs of Aces and Kings (look at the matches with the cards on the table). The kicker lady. Your possible low hand: 7-6-4-3-A. Do not forget that you can only use 2 of your four cards for a combination.

However, your opponent wins this match because he is the owner of both a High and a Low hand. High: a Flush with diamonds J♦ and 4♦ in hand + A♦, K♦, Q♦ on the table. Low: 6-4-3-2-A is lower than yours.

Such a win is called “scoop” in English; this means that a poker player should always try to win both halves of the pot.

Summing up, I would like to additionally note that Omaha Hi-Lo, like other online poker formats, requires care and ingenuity. It is never too late to learn, but it must be done with intelligence and endurance.