Omaha Hi/Lo
Omaha Hi/Lo
Poker with Community Cards
Split: High and Low Hands
Number of Players: 2-10
Wild Cards: No
Omaha is a game that plays similar to Texas Hold’em. The object is to make the best/worst possible five-card hands, using a combination of hole cards and five community cards.
Players are dealt four hole cards, and must make a five-card hand using exactly two hole cards and three community cards. This differs from Texas Hold’em, in which players get two hole cards, and can use any combination of hole cards and community cards to make the best five-card hand.
This variant, Omaha High Low ('Hi/Lo'), is a split pot game. The best high hand wins half of the pot and the best low hand wins the other half of the pot.
Each player is dealt four cards face down, starting with the player to the left of the dealer.
There is a round of betting where each player can fold, call, or raise. Betting starts left of the dealer or left of the big blind.
Community cards are dealt as a three card street (flop), a one card street (turn) and a one card street (river) with betting rounds following each street. A "burn" card is dealt before each street.
At showdown, players must use exactly 2 hole cards to make their best 5 card high and low hand. The same cards can be used to make a high and a low hand.
Determining the Winner
A low hand must qualify for there to be a split pot. Low hands do not count straights or flushes. A qualifying low hand can be no better than 8-high (5 unpaired cards that are and 8 or lower. Aces can be used as the lowest card. The best possible low hand is A-2-3-4-5 ("the wheel") and the worst possible low hand is 4-5-6-7-8.
Four hole cards are dealt to each player. Each makes their best five-card poker hand and their best five-card low hand using exactly two hole cards and three community cards. Different combinations of cards can be used by a player to make separate high and low hands.
It is possible for a player to win both the high and low portions of the pot--known as "scooping". If there is no qualifying low hand, the best high hand will scoop the whole pot.
The game can be played as a limit, pot limit or no limit game. If not stated otherwise, this is a No Limit game. The game can be played with blinds as a "round".