Omaha High-low

As it follows in the footsteps of the ever-popular Texas Hold'em, Omaha is expected to become the next big poker sensation. More and more players are starting to discover Omaha, a poker form that has many similarities to Hold'em but is at the same time a totally different game.

In Omaha, each player gets four hole cards and has to use exactly two of them in combination with the community cards on the board to create the best five-card poker hand possible. The community cards are the same as in Holdem - first, three cards on the flop, then one card on the turn and one card on the river, with a betting round between each street.

Omaha can be played in either a high or hi-lo version. Omaha Hi-Lo is also called Omaha Hi/Lo, Omaha High-Low and Omaha/8 (Omaha Eight-or-Better), and the pot is split between the best high hand and the best qualified low hand. A qualified low means that the low hand consists of five cards under eight (no pair).

The best low hand is A-2-3-4-5 (straights and flushes do not matter). If there is no qualified low hand, the best high hand wins the whole pot. When several players have the same winning hand, the pot is split between them.

Omaha, in both the high and hi-lo version, is a drawing game. You will often commit many chips without a made hand. But when you draw, be sure to draw to the nuts. When playing hi-lo, you also want to have a shot at both the high and the low part of the pot. Otherwise, you risk being quartered, which means you have a hand that someone else also holds, so you end up with only a fourth of the pot.

Take a look at the top list above to find the best available Omaha Hi-Lo action online.

Learn More About Omaha Poker: Omaha Strategy, Omaha Rules
Other Omaha Poker Games: Omaha Poker Overall , Omaha Hi