Omaha Hi Lo - Community Card Poker Game

Also known as Omaha Eight or Eight or Better, Omaha Hi Lo has a bunch of different names and is very popular in card rooms everywhere.

Introduction to Why Omaha Hi Lo is So Popular

Probably one of the main reasons the game is so popular is that it usually has a large pot of money to be won! There are four types of the game: Limit Omaha Hi Lo – limits are applied to bets; Pot Limit Omaha Hi Lo – the number of chips in the pot determines the amount of bets; No Limit Omaha Hi Lo – players are able to wager all of his chips; Mixed Omaha Hi Lo – each round is different – one is limit hi lo and the next is no limit hi lo and then it alternates.

How to Play Omaha Hi Lo Poker

Four (hole) cards are dealt to each player. Then there are five community cards placed on the board which are obviously face up. Players must take two of their own cards and then select three of the community’s cards by which to form the best five card poker hand they can. The money pot is then divided between the one who has the best hand for high poker and the best hand for low poker (and that is why it is called Omaha hi-lo poker). So it is not a difficult game to master by any stretch. It is very similar to other major poker games.

Terminology in Omaha Hi Lo Poker

The first word one might want to familiarize themselves with in this game is “the button.” This shows the players who the dealer will be (out of the players) for that game. The “small blind” is usually half a small bet which is posted by the player left of the button. Next, the “big blind” (which is a full small bet) is posted, by the player sitting to the left of the one who posted the small blind. The “flop” is the first three community cards that are accessible for all the players still in the game. At this point of the game this is dealt face up on the board. After the flop round the “turn” is dealt face up which is the fourth community card in this game. The player left of the button begins play at this point and the betting doubles from the small bet to the big bet. After this bet, the “river” is dealt face up which is the fifth and last community card. Again betting starts with the player left of the button.

The 8 in Omaha Hi Lo Poker

But then, one might ask, why is Omaha hi lo poker often referred to as Omaha eight, or Omaha eight or better? This is because the game uses an “8 or higher” qualifier. In other words, to win the “lo” of the game, the hand must be at worst an 8.