Omaha Hi-Lo games follow the same dealing and wagering system – flop, turn, river – as Omaha Poker, with a significant change to the rules. In Hi/Lo poker, each pot is split between two winning hands – the best ‘high’ hand, and the best ‘low’ hand.
While rules and variations may different slightly between each casino, the majority of Omaha Hi/Lo games use an 8-or-better qualifier. This means that, to win the ‘low’ hand, your hand must be comprised of five different cards that are all less than 8. Cards 8-or-better contribute to the ‘high’ hand.
Note that Aces always count as low in a low hand, meaning the best possible low hand would be 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace.
Omaha Hi-Lo Poker games usually follow one of three wagering formats: Limit, Pot Limit, or No Limit.
Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Poker
In Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Poker, bet sizes & amounts are structured and pre-determined. Similar to Fixed-Limit Texas Hold’em, bets & raises are the same amount as the big blind pre-flop and on the flop itself (e.g. if the big blind is $25, bet sizes are $25.)
After the flop – the turn & the river – the bet/raise size doubles (e.g. if the big blind is $25, bet sizes are $50.)
In this game type, players are allowed a four bet maximum per betting round.
Pot Limit Hi/Lo Poker
The most popular form of online Omaha Hi/Lo poker, in Pot Limit, wager size is limited to however much is in the pot (e.g. if the pot total is $100, maximum bet size would be $100.)
The minimum bet in Pot Limit, at most poker sites, is the same as the size of the big blind.
No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Poker
In No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Poker, as the name suggests, there are no limits to the bet sizes – players can wager the total amount of chips they have available.