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Omaha hi/lo rules
Owing to its frequently large pots, Omaha Hi Lo (also called "Omaha High Low" or "Omaha 8 or Better") has quickly become a hugely popular game in North America and Europe. Each player in an Omaha Hi Lo game is dealt four cards ("hole cards") that belong only to that player. Five community cards are dealt face-up on the "board". All players use two cards from their four hole cards in conjunction with three cards from the board to make the best five-card poker hand possible. The pot is divided between the best hand for high and the best hand for low - hence the name, Omaha Hi Lo. Visit the poker hands page to view the rankings of hands in Omaha Hi Lo.
Note that Omaha Hi Lo is played with an "8 or better" qualifier, which means that a hand must be at worst an 8 for low to be eligible to win the low portion of the pot. Low hands in Omaha HiLo are determined in exactly the same way they're determined in 7 Card Stud Hi Lo.
Types of Omaha Hi Lo Games
Omaha Hi Lo can be played in the following formats:
- Limit Omaha Hi Lo - Specific betting limit applied in each game and on each round of betting.
- Pot Limit Omaha Hi Lo - Bets are limited to the amount of chips in the pot.
- No Limit Omaha Hi Lo - A player can bet all of the chips he has available.
Rules for Playing Omaha Hi Lo
In Omaha Hi Lo poker, a disc also known as "the button", indicates which player is the nominal dealer for the current game. Before the game begins, the player immediately clockwise the button posts the "small blind", typically half a small bet (for example, $1 in a $2/$4 Omaha Hi Lo game). The player immediately clockwise the small blind posts the "big blind", which is always a full small bet ($2 in a $2/$4 omaha Hi Lo game). Now, each player receives his or her four hole cards. Betting action proceeds around the table, starting with the player on the immediately clockwise the big blind.
Now, the "flop" is dealt face-up on the board. The flop is the first three community cards available to all active players. Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise the button. All bets and raises occur in small bets (increments of $2 in a $2/$4 game).
When betting action is completed for the flop round, the "turn" is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community card in an Omaha Hi Lo game. Play begins with the active player immediately clockwise the button. On this round, betting doubles from the small bet to the big bet. In a $2/$4 game, betting on the turn is done in $4 increments.
When betting action is completed for the turn round, the "river" is dealt face-up on the board. The river is the fifth and final community card in an Omaha Hi Lo game. Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise the button.
If there is more than one remaining player when the final betting round is complete, the last bettor or raiser shows his or her cards. If there was no bet on the final round, the player immediately clockwise the button shows his or her cards first. The player with the best five-card hand for high wins half the pot, and the player with the best hand for low wins the other half. In Omaha, players must use two and only two of their four hole cards in combination with three cards from the board. In the event of identical hands, the high and low shares of the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands. In the event that no hand qualifies for low, the best hand(s) for high wins the pot.
After the pot is awarded, a new Omaha Hi Lo game is ready to be played. The button now moves clockwise to the next player.
Omaha Hi Lo is growing very fast in popularity, especially with the exposure of online poker. So while learning the rules of Omaha Hi Lo can take some getting used to, it is an entertaining poker variant that many regular Omaha players, as well as Texas holdem players have learned to enjoy.
7 card stud hi lo is a technically demanding poker game where the best poker hands for the high and low split the pot at showdown. In 7 card stud hi lo poker, players are dealt 7 cards throughout the course of the hand, but only the best five-card hand possible for each player is used to determine the winner. Visit our poker hand rankings page to see the ranking of hands for 7 card stud hi lo. Note that 7 card stud hi lo is played with an "8 or better" qualifier, which means that a hand must be, at worst, an 8 for low to be eligible to win the low portion of the pot. (Low hands in seven card stud high low are determined in the same way they're determined in Omaha 8 or better.)
Rules for Playing 7 Card Stud Hi Lo
Before a game of 7 card stud hi lo begins play, all stud players ante a nominal amount. Each player is dealt two hidden hole cards and one exposed card. The player with the lowest exposed card is the "bring-in", and is forced to make a wager of either a half a small bet or a full small bet (for example, either $1 or $2 in a $2/$4 stud high low game). Action continues clockwise around the poker table until betting is complete for the round.
Rule Note: For the purposes of determining the bring-in in 7 card stud hi lo, ties in card rank are broken by suit, with the order being spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs (in descending order).
Each poker player now receives an exposed card, called "Fourth Street". The first player to act is the individual whose exposed stud cards have the highest poker value. By rule, this player may either check or bet. If no player shows a pair amongst his or her exposed cards, the bet will be a small bet ($2 in a $2/$4 game). If any player shows a pair, the betting can be opened for a big bet ($4 in a $2/$4 game).
Each player now receives another exposed card, called "Fifth Street". Again by rule, the first player to act is the individual whose exposed poker hand have the highest poker value.
Rule Note: Starting on Fifth Street and for the rest of the hand, all bets are in big bet increments ($4 in a $2/$4 game).
Each poker player now receives another exposed card, called "Sixth Street". Again, the first player to act is the individual whose exposed cards have the highest poker value.
Each player now receives a seventh and final card (hence the name 7 card stud), which is dealt face-down and known only to the player to whom the card is dealt. The first player to act is the individual whose exposed cards have the highest poker value.
If there is more than one remaining player when the final betting round is complete in 7 card stud hi lo, the last bettor or raiser shows his or her cards. If there was no bet on the final round, the player whose exposed cards have the highest poker value shows his or her cards first.
Showdown - Determining the Hi and Lo Winner
The player with the best five-card hand for the high ("Hi") wins half the pot, and the player with the best hand for low ("Lo") wins the other half of the pot. In the event that no hand qualifies for low, the best hand(s) for high wins the pot. Remember that in 7 card stud hi lo, the "8 or better" is still a requirement in order to win the low, so a player must have an unpaired five-card hand that consists of all cards less than or equal to the value of 8. Otherwise, there is no low if no player can meet this hand requirement. After the pot is awarded to the high and low hands, a new online game of 7 card stud hilo poker is ready to be played again.
If you are familiar with stud poker, the most popular being seven card stud, then you should be able to pick up 7 card stud hi lo fairly quickly. If you are unfamiliar with stud poker or seven card stud, we recommend you try that poker game out first to get a feel for how the game is played.
Finally, if you like to play other Hi Lo variants, we recommend you check out Omaha Hi Lo, which is a very popular poker game as well. Both games are a nice change of pace from the amazingly popular Texas Holdem game.
Texas Hold'em Omaha 7Card Stud Omaha High-Low 7Card Stud High/Low