Omaha Hi-Lo

Because the pots at Omaha are often very big, Omaha Hi-Lo (also called Omaha 8 Or Better) has become very popular in a short period in North America and Europe. Every player at Omaha Hi-Lo gets four closed cards that belong to him alone. Five cards are put open on the table. All players use two of their closed cards and three of the shared cards to make the best possible hand of 5 cards. The pot is divided between the highest and lowest hand, which explains the name Omaha Hi-Lo.

Omaha Hi-Lo is played with the '8 or better' rule, which means that a hand has to be at least 8 to be able to win the part of the pot that goes to the lowest hand. Just like in Omaha Hi, at Hi/Lo you must make the best hand by combining exactly two of your own cards with three of the shared cards. Because you will have to make two hands at Hi/Lo, namely the high hand and the low hand, you can use two different cards for the high and the low. At Omaha Hi/Lo you must always play for a scoop, which means that you're looking for a starting hand that has the chance to make both the highest hand, and the lowest hand.

Players with the best highest and lowest hand (five cards), each win half the pot. When the hands are equal, the pot is divided between the players with the best hands. When no hand is good enough to be the lowest hand, the pot goes to the players with the best highest hand. The best low hand is the player with the lowest high card. A player with has a better low hand than someone with . The first has a 7 as a high card, and the second has an 8 as the highest card. When two or more players have the same high card, the player with the second 'lowest highest' card wins.

Perfect starting hands get an ace and a low extra card. For instance:

The ace is very important in Omaha Hi/Lo because the nut-low always contains an ace (the nut-low is a wheel, or bicycle )

Please note that the following hands are not the lowest hand in 8-or-better poker and will not be able to win the pot for lowest hand:

(not 8 or better)
(not 8 or better)
(an 8 or better hand may not contain a pair)

Important in Omaha Hi/Lo:

you can use different cards for your highest and lowest hand;
in Omaha Hi/Lo you are required to use 2 of the 4 closed cards you were given, combined with three of the cards that are open on the board;
when two hands are equal, the high and low part of the pot is divided equally among the players with the best hands. If no hand meets the requirement for low hand, the pot is won by the best hand for high;
if you get a straight or a flush, you can be eligible for the lowest hand. The value that these combinations have normally, do not apply if you're going for the lowest hand.