Omaha Hi/Low (aka Omaha 8 or Better)

Omaha hi/lo poker, also called Omaha 8 or better, is a variation of the standard Omaha poker game. Both Omaha hi/lo and standard Omaha are similar in most ways to Texas HoldEm poker.

Omaha vs. Texas

To understand the difference between Omaha hi/lo poker and Omaha poker we should start with the difference between Omaha and Texas.

There are two crucial differences in game play. In Omaha poker you're dealt four cards instead of two, and the winning hand must use two hole cards and three cards from the board rather than having freedom to use as many hole or board cards as they need to win.

Omaha vs. Omaha High/Low

The difference between Omaha and Omaha High/Low is that in Omaha Hi/Low the highest winning hand splits the pot with the lowest hand.

The lowest hand must have five cards that are eight or lower (thus the "8 or better" name). Ties are common for the lowest hands, and in such cases the winning "losers" split half the pot.

If there is no low hand then the high hand takes all.

Why Play Omaha Hi/Lo?

Well, if you're just starting out Omaha should be your game of choice as it often attracts newbies. Omaha players tend to play poorly, perhaps because they're not used to the slight but significant difference from Omaha's Texas cousin.

So learn more about the rules and strategy and get out there and win!