Play Omaha Hi Lo Poker Online 2024

The best of both worlds, Omaha Hi Lo combines the game mechanics of traditional Omaha poker with additional payouts and large pots. In Omaha Hi Lo, the pot is split between two winners: the best high hand and the best low hand. In our expert guide to Omaha Hi Lo poker, we’ll cover where to play, how to play, top Omaha strategy & more!

Where to Play Omaha Hi Lo Poker Online

Here are the best sites for US players, updated daily, for playing Omaha Hi Lo poker online:

How to Play Omaha Hi Lo Poker Online

If you are unfamiliar with regular Omaha poker, it might be a good idea to learn how to play that first.

To win a hand of Omaha Hi Lo poker, a player has two options:

1. Make the best five-card high hand
2. Make the best five-card low hand

Each pot will be split evenly between two winners.

Players must use exactly two of their four personal cards and three of the five shared community cards. Each player is able to use different card combinations to submit their high hand and their low hand, but each combination must be comprised of the same ratio: two personal cards with three community cards.

If there is no qualifying low hand (more on the qualifier in a minute), the entire pot goes to the player with the best high hand.

The deal and betting rounds follow a similar format to Texas Holdem, with a flop, turn and river each interspersed with rounds of betting.

Read on for a more detailed look at how to play and rules.

Omaha Poker Rules

Again, the purpose in Omaha poker is to have either the best high hand, or the best low hand. Each pot will be split equally between these two hands, and in the event of no qualifying low hand, the pot will be awarded to the high hand.

Building a Hand

Omaha Hi Lo poker follows a similar dealing structure to standard Omaha poker:

• Each player will be dealt four personal cards, known as hole cards
• The table will be dealt five shared community cards, that all players can use to build their hands

Each player must use exactly two of their personal cards combined with three of the five community cards to make their hands.

Players can use different hole and community cards for their high and low hand, but the ratio of community & hole cards must remain the same. Aces can be used as either a high or a low card, depending on which hand you’re building.

8-or-Better Qualifier

Most variations of Hi Lo poker employ an “8-or-better” qualifier for the low hand.

This means that in order to be eligible to win the “low” half of the pot, all cards in the hand must be ranked eight or less.

The Deal & Pre Flop

For this example, let’s imagine we’re playing $5 / $10 Hi Lo. This means that the small blind, the player directly to the dealer’s left, bets $5 and the big blind, seated to the left of the small blind, bets $10.

Each player is then dealt four cards face down.

The first round of betting beings with the player located directly to the left of the big blind. Players can then call the big blind of $10, raise the $10 to whatever amount (if no limit) or the value of the pot at the time (which in this case would be $15) or the player can fold their cards.

The Flop

After bets are in, the dealer will flip over three community cards referred to as “the flop”.

The first active player to the left of the dealer begins the next betting round. That player can either check (no bet), bet or fold. The players next to the first bettor can either check (if the person before them checked), call (match previous bet), raise the bet to their liking or fold.

The Turn

After the post-flop round of betting is complete, the dealer flips over a fourth card, deemed “the turn”, and another round of betting ensues.

The same bet type options as in the post-flop betting round are available to each active player.

The River

Whoever is remaining in the hand gets to see the fifth and final community card – “the river” – and enjoys one final round of betting.

Showdown

After the post-river round of betting is complete, all remaining players reveal their hole cards. The person with the best Omaha Hi hand wins half the pot, and the person with the best Omaha Lo hand wins half the pot. This can be the same person and when the same person wins both pots, it’s referred to as “scooping” the pot.

If no player qualifies for the Lo win, the player with the best Hi hand wins the entire pot.

Omaha Hi-Lo Hand Rankings

While the double-pot may seem confusing at first, the hand rankings are really quite straightforward, and once you play a few hands, you’ll get a hang of it quickly.

Omaha Hi Hands

Judging the best high hand in Hi/Lo poker is very straightforward, especially if you’re familiar with other hand poker rankings.

High hands follow the same ranking system as popular games like Texas Holdem. The best hands are ranking here, from best to worst:

Name	Description	Example
Royal Flush	Five sequential cards of the same suit, 10 through Ace
Straight Flush	Five sequential cards of the same suit
Four of a Kind	Four cards of the same value
Full House	Three cards of the same value and two different cards of the same value
Flush	Five cards of the same suit
Straight	Five sequential cards
Three of a Kind	Three cards of the same value (the other two cards are irrelevant)
Two Pair	Two cards of the same value and two different cards of the same value (the fifth card is irrelevant)
One Pair	Two cards of the same value (the other three cards are irrelevant)
High Card	None of the above, defer to the highest-value card in the

Omaha Low Hand Rankings

Determining Low hand ranks is more unique, but no more complicated.

Low hands are ranked using the California system, meaning straights & flushes don’t count against a hand, pairs & three/four of a kind do count against the hand, and Aces always count as a low card.

Using this system, unpaired hands are ranked beginning with the hand’s highest card (for example, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 would be “7-low”)

The best possible low hand is known as “the wheel”: A, 2, 3, 4, 5 (5-low).

The next best possible hand would be A-2-3-4-6 (6-4 low.)

The latter hand would lose to the former because 6 is higher than 5. This same pattern continues throughout the deck: 6-low beats 7-low, 7-low beats 8-low, etc.

While flushes and straights don’t count against your hand, pairs do. This means that the lowest pair (e.g. A-A-2-3-4) would still lose out to the highest single-card hand (e.g. 9-10-J-Q-K).

In short: stay focused on low cards and avoid pairs & three/four of a kind – lowest hand wins.

Common Omaha Hi Lo Mistakes

Playing Too Long

While generally it’s best to wait for the flop, if you have been dealt middle cards like 6-7-8, it may be best to fold early. Don’t play a bad hand for too long.

Bluffing Often

In Hi Lo, players tend to win with strong hands which means it will be difficult to force a fold. If you’re going to bluff – and we don’t recommend it – bluff infrequently.

Playing With Tilt

Because the deal in Omaha Hi Lo is based on luck, unlucky spells are common. Stay calm and play logically. Never play when unhappy, angry or unsettled.

Omaha Hi Lo FAQs