If ever there was a game created for sheer fun and excitement, it has to be Omaha-Hi-Lo! Haven't had the pleasure of playing this quick-fire poker format? Well, you've certainly not lived in your online poker life. This is the sort of game that has humongous pots and even bigger poker hands.

Jumping straight in and playing is one option. However, getting familiar with both the rules and the strategy will make the game even more enjoyable. You'll be making money with better hands while having an absolute blast! And, at 888poker there are more Omaha-Hi-Lo games than you can shake a stick at.

Omaha-Hi-Lo Strategy – The Main Components. One of the first things you'll need to know about Hi-Lo is that there are two winning hands at showdown: a High Hand and a Low Hand. They get to split the pot 50/50. But it gets even better. Make the best Hi and Lo. Starting hand selection is so critical that demonstrating patience is perhaps the single most important skill to have. Hands that may seem tempting to play (such as A49T) should be folded due to their propensity for making a non-nut low. The best starting hand in Omaha Hi/Lo is AA23 double-suited.

But, firstly, let's go over a few key strategy points, you'll need to know before getting caught up in this action-packed game.

Omaha-Hi-Lo Strategy – The Main Components

One of the first things you'll need to know about Hi-Lo is that there are two winning hands at showdown: a High Hand and a Low Hand. They get to split the pot 50/50. Not bad! But it gets even better. Make the best Hi and Lo on the river and scoop the lot! 100% of the pot is yours.

The main betting format for Omaha-Hi-Lo is Pot Limit, but you will also find a lot of Fixed Limit games. Ultimately, the choice is yours when it comes to which one you should play. Pot Limit games play a lot like No Limit when you compare pot sizes. Whereas the Fixed Limit games restrict the amount of your stack you can get into the pot to a maximum of 4 times the Big Blind, on each street.

In Omaha MTTs, using Omaha Hi-Low tournament strategy can really help you go deep and make more final tables. It's a case of balancing solid starting hands with good knowledge of how low hands work.

Now, let's get into the mechanics of Omaha-Hi-Lo game strategy, starting with pre-flop hand selection.

Starting Hands

Because there are two winning pots in this format, you should pick starting hands that can scoop both. In fact, one of the main strategy rules of split-pot games is, “Go for the low and back into the high”. A hand like A-A-2-X double-suited gives you the chance at the nut-low and the nut flush (high hand) draws.

Take a look at this Top Ten list of Best Starting Hands:

1. A-A-2-3 DS
2. A-A-2-4 DS
3. A-A-2-3 Suited
4. A-A-2-5 DS
5. A-A-2-4 Suited
6. A-A-3-4 DS
7. A-A-2-3 Non-suited
8. A-A-2-2 DS
9. A-A-3-5 DS
10. A-A-2-6 DS

Now many Hi-Lo gurus will fall in love with any A-2-X-X, but not all A-2 hands are created equal. For example, look at the hand A-2-Q-Q double-suited and compare that to A-2-J-8 non-suited. The A-2 with the Queen kickers just beats the J-8 hand into submission. It's not even a fair fight!

So even though the low is an important part of this poker genre, it only makes up 50% of the winning hand. You should look for hands that contain cards that can help in making a winning high hand, too.

Hands that have suited aces, big pairs, or other high cards that can help you make nut flushes or straights, are perfect.

Low Hands

Now going for the Lo and having the best Lo are two entirely different animals in Omaha. It's common to see players calling massive river bets with a Low Hand that is solidly beat.

Have a look at the following board and starting hands. See if you can determine which Low wins:

Player 1's Low reads 7s-6s-4d-2d-Ac: They have used the 7s, 6s and 2d from the board along with the Ac and 4d from their hand make their best possible Low.

Player 2's Low reads 7s-6s-3d-2s-Ah: They have used the 7s, 6s and Ah from the board along with the 2s and 3d from their hand make their best possible Low.

A great way to calculate lows is from top to bottom, with the Ace being the bottom card. So, in this example, even though both players have the A-2, from the top down Player 2's 3d beats Player 1's 4d. And so, Player 2 has the better hand.

Now you can easily see why being able to calculate the best possible Low is so important. It's easy to get beat by just one card. If you find yourself in a situation where your Lo could be beat, folding or just calling (a small bet) is a good option.

In the above scenario, if Player 2 felt they had the best Low Hand, they would likely build a big pot. Where would this leave you? Up the creek without a paddle and sinking fast!

However, once you get more familiar with making and reading Lows, you'll start to know when you have the best of it. If an opponent that you suspect has a Low is just calling, go for it. More than likely they don't have your Low beat and are trying to get to showdown without losing any more chips.

Counterfeit Lows & Backup Cards

While A-2-X-X is a super-strong starting hand, having something like A-2-3-X is even better. Why? Because now you also have a good backup card. What's a backup card, you might ask? Well, these are cards that will “back up” your draw, if one of your Low cards falls on the board.

Remember that in Omaha, players must use 3 cards from the board to form a hand. Therefore, if they happen to have an A-3-4-X hand, the 2 will fill the gap between the A and the 3 quite nicely. And, unless your X-card is a 4 your Low would be beat!

This is why staying aware of what low cards can counterfeit (match one of your low cards making it useless) is so important. And, don't forget those backup cards, if you really want to make certain your Low comes out on top.

Limp! Limp! Limp!

Omaha is a game of draws – big draws. It's not uncommon to see more than one Low or multiple flush hands in the same suit on the river. And, with players drawing to lots of different highs and lows, there's bound to be a lot of action in this game.

So, getting your chips all-in pre-flop isn't a great idea. In fact, being able to see a flop for cheap is a good thing. If you hit the board hard with nut high and low draws, bang it! Get as many of your chips into the middle as possible. In a Pot Limit game, this isn't that hard to do.

Just make sure that, when you do make your draw, it has a good chance of holding up.

Yes, Position Matters in Omaha!

As with other poker games, in Omaha Hi-Lo position is very important. You should restrict playing early position to premium starting hands – like the ones on the Top Ten list. This will help you conserve chips and avoid having to play your draws out of position.

Playing drawing hands when you're closer to the button just makes more sense. You get to control the pot and your opponents. If a player tries to check-raise you, you can check behind. If they lead out, you can raise and build a big pot for yourself.

Keep in mind that Hi-Lo can be a volatile game because of all the drawing hands and starting hand combinations. So get maximum value for your big draws, by playing more hands in position and minimise weaker ones, by folding more out of position. It's as simple as that!

How to Play (and Beat) Omaha Hi-Lo Poker

Omaha Hi-Lo, also known as O8 or Omaha 8/b, is a split pot variation of the popular Omaha poker variant. You get 4 hole-cards, and the pot is split between the highest poker hand and a ‘low’ containing 5 unique cards 8 or lower at showdown. This is not a new poker game – it has been a fixture at the World Series of Poker for many years.

This page gives you complete guide to getting started with Omaha Hi-Lo. You’ll find the rules, strategy tips and how to play O8 in different poker formats below. Here are how things are laid out:

• How Omaha Hi-Lo Works: A quick-fire look at how a hand is played from start to finish.
• Pre-Flop Considerations: Starting hand selection, plus a note on the importance of position
• Flop, Turn and River: How the community cards affect your play.
• Unique Strategy Considerations: Getting ‘quartered’, scooping pots and the risks of being counterfeited.
• Omaha Hi-Lo Tournaments:Special strategy considerations for playing O8 in multi-table tournaments.

How Omaha Hi-Lo Works: A Hand from Start to Finish

You’ll see that the betting rounds work in the same way as Texas Hold’em. This makes starting out at Omaha Hi-Lo much easier than other poker variants. Here is a quick run-through of a hand from start to finish.

Before any cards are dealt, two players place blinds. The big blind is equal to a small bet, with the small blind half of that amount. In a $1 / $2 Omaha Hi-Lo game, the blinds are 50c and $1 (not $1 and $2 as they would be in Texas Hold’em). Blinds are posted by the two players to the left of the dealer button, which moves around the table clockwise after each hand.

Next, all players are dealt 4 cards face-down. As you will see from the showdown info below, you’ll use 2 cards from your hand, and 3 from the board to make both the high and low hands at the end.

Betting action starts with the player to the left of the big blind. This is known as the ‘Under the Gun’ position. This player can call (match the big blind), raise 1 additional small bet, or elect to fold. Action then moves around the table. To stay in the hand, each player must match the current raise (or call if there has not been one). If the pot is not raised by the time the big blind gets to act, this player can check or raise. There are a maximum of 4 raises on any betting round.

The Flop

3 of the five community cards are then dealt face-up in the middle of the table. This is an important moment in a hand, as the number (and rank) or low cards will give up an idea of whether the pot will be split at showdown – or go to the highest hand only.

Betting then starts again. This time the player to the left of the dealer button starts the action. Betting is again in fixed units, and 4 raises are possible. If there has not been a bet, players can ‘check’, passing the option to check or bet to the next player.

Turn and River Betting Rounds

Once betting is completed, an additional community card (the turn) is then dealt. Betting starts again, with the unit doubled. Again, players can elect to check, and there are a maximum of 4 raises possible.

River betting follows the same pattern. Some live casinos allow uncapped bets if a pot is heads-up after the river – though online sites, like Ignition Poker, will restrict you to a maximum of 4 raises. If there have been bets and raises on all rounds, the pot can get large by this point in the hand.

Showdown Rules in Omaha Hi-Lo

At showdown the first question is whether there is a qualifying low hand? This is any 5 cards 8 or lower which uses 2 cards from a players’ hand, and three from the community cards. If there are not 3 low cards on the board, then the entire pot goes to the player with the highest ranked poker hand.

If there is more than one low, then the winner has the lowest ranked cards. The nuts is A-2-3-4-5. This is known as a ‘wheel’. For example, A-2-3-4-8 would lose to 2-4-5-6-7 in Omaha Hi-Lo, as the 7 had the lower ranked top card.

The two parts of the pot are assessed separately. Both use the 2 from your hand / 3 from the board rule. You can make a high hand using your ace, as well as the low for example.

Having explained the basic rules, below you will find some strategy considerations for pre-flop, and later betting rounds.

Omaha Hi-Lo Before the Flop: Starting Hand Selection

Many players who are new to Omaha Hi-Lo make the mistake of playing too many hands. A typical player might play all the high starting hands from PLO – and add in many low-card hands on top. This is a terrible strategy and different from the starting hands in Texas Hold’Em. The very best starting hands in O8 have the potential to win both sides of the pot. Advice for players starting out is to play only hands containing aces until you get a good understanding of the strategy.

Premium Hands: If you have a pair of aces, with low side-cards like A-A-2-3 you have a very strong Omaha Hi-Lo starting hand. If there are two suits (and so the ability to make two different flushes at showdown), this is as good a starting hand as you will find. Aces with one lower card and one higher one can also win big pots. Suits make a big difference, you don’t want to be drawing to a non-nut hand.

Low Card Hands: A-2-3-4 is also a strong starting hand (again, suited cards with the ace matter). These have the potential to make lows which can stand a bad turn or river which counterfeits your existing low. 2-3-4-5 can be played for a raise, though with many opponents playing hands with aces, it is more difficult to win both sides of the pot.

High Only Hands: Premiums from Omaha Hi include A-A-K-K and A-A-J-10 – as well as ‘rundown’ hands like 9-10-J-Q. If there are no low cards on the flop, you can play these hands strongly. They are useful in spots where two opponents have the nut low, and you can get half of the pot while they get a quarter each.

Omaha Hi Lo Starting Hands

You will not always be lucky enough to get premiums. Hands in all forms of Omaha work best when they work together. Suited cards can make flushes, and connected cards can make straights. Avoid hands with middle-ranked cards. 4-6-8-10 (for example) is completely unplayable.

Omaha Hi-Lo Before the Flop: Position is Important

Being last to act as the betting rounds progress is important in all poker formats. The reason is that you get more information on how much your opponents like their hand before you act. If you are going to play speculative hands, do it from the dealer button position. This means you will be last to act on the flop, turn and river betting rounds.

If you are checked to in position, you will have the opportunity to steal pots that you would not have when first to act. If you see a raise and reraise ahead of you, then you can make folds with hands that you might have bet with when first to act. Depending on your opponents, you will have a chance to match the betting to their tendencies from position – and can win more than your fair share of the pots.

Omaha Hi-lo Poker Best Starting Hands

Flop, Turn and River Betting Rounds

Omaha, in all formats, is a drawing game. The connected nature of starting hands, and 4 hole-cards means that the flop can give a lot of players some potential to make monsters. For this reason, a good rule of thumb for beginning players in O8 is that you should only pay to draw to a nut or near nut hand. Things can get expensive by the river if you pay off bets all the way, only to find out that you were drawing to the 2^nd or 3^rd best hand all along.

On the flop, you are looking for 2-way potential – that is the ability to win both the high and low side of the pot. Flops with no low cards or only one will often end up going to the high hand only. When 3 low cards hit, and A-2 is not among them, then that hand will be the nut low at that point. As you will see in the strategy tips below, an ace or deuce landing on the turn or river can cause your hand to be counterfeited. With tight opponents, there is always a risk that someone else holds A-2-X-X. In this case you could be paying to draw to a quarter of the pot.

When the turn hits, the betting unit doubles. This is an important point in the hand. Continuing with most holdings here will mean the pot will be big. In this case it is easy to get ‘priced in’ to calling yet more bets on the river.

Unique Strategy Considerations for Omaha Hi-Lo

In the section above I mentioned being counterfeited and winning only a quarter of the pot. These are real risks in Omaha Hi-Lo – and you should play hands with both of these firmly in mind.

Counterfeiting occurs when you have a low, and a card matching one of your low card hits the turn or river. For example, you hold A-3-J-J with two suits, a decent, though not premium starting hand. The flop comes 2-5-9, giving you a draw to the nut low, plus an over-pair (that probably needs to improve to win the high hand).

There are bets and raises, then a 7 hits the turn giving you the nut low hand. Here the risk is that an ace or a 3 hits the river. This would give someone with different low cards (4, 5) the nuts, killing your low in the process. This shows why you should choose hands with additional low cards when possible (or better high possibilities). If the roles were reversed, you could be the one winning the low pot when those cards strike.

Quartering occurs when two players end up with identical low hands. This is most common when players with A-2 go to war. If one of them gets a flush at the same time as the nut low, they win the high part of the pot, as well as half of the low. The other player only gets a quarter.

You will sometimes find yourself in a spot where two other players are raising each other, and you are in the middle with a strong low hand. This can be dangerous. With one player holding a high hand and the other with an identical low to yours, the risk of being quartered is real. If you have more low cards that can win the pot if the current low gets counterfeited, then at least you have some insurance in those spots.

Omaha Hi Lo Poker Best Starting Hands In Texas Hold Em

As well as these unique strategy ideas, fundamental poker concepts apply. If you find a loose and wild player in your game – then raising to isolate them is a great move. This can give you a shot at their stack when their chances might be slim to none.

Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Tournaments

While the hands play out in the same way in a tournament and cash game – there are some extra considerations for tournament play.

The first thing to note is that antes are not used in Omaha tournaments. This means there are smaller pots pre-flop, and less pressure to gamble on players. Generally speaking, the standard of play will be better in cash games – with more non-nut potential hands getting involved. This rewards a solid strategy, though not too solid – if you don’t take the chips early from the fish then you’ll need to fight for them against more experienced players later on.

As the bet sizes get bigger, you’ll need to make a stand. This means that getting quartered during the later stages can put a big dent in your stack. As with all poker games in tournament formats, you’ll need a little luck – as well as skilled play – to make the final table.

Omaha Hi Lo Poker Best Starting Hands In Omaha

Omaha 8/b is also found in mixed game tournaments. This features in HORSE, which is used for the World Series of Poker ‘Poker Players Championship’ each year. It can also be found in mixed game cash formats online.

Best Hands In Omaha Hi Lo

Wrapping Up: Omaha Hi-Lo Poker

Best Starting Hands In Hi Lo Omaha Poker

O8 has been a popular niche within poker for many years. The game-play is simple, with 2 cards from your own hand and 3 cards from the board making your poker hand at showdown. If there is one thing for beginners to take away from this guide, it is to play hands with 2-way potential. If you manage to ‘scoop’ both the high and low hands, you can be raking in some big pots.