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Omaha 8 or Better Rules

The rules for omaha 8 or better are very similar to those of Omaha high. Omaha 8 or better is also referred to as Omaha high low, and I believe that this variation of the game requires the players to have a lot more skill and understanding of bets and hand strength. The only true difference between the two games is that in Omaha high you just play your best 5 card hand, but in Omaha 8 or better you are allowed to play either your lowest 5 card hand or your highest 5 card hand, or even both in some situations. This concept of playing your lowest hand is usually very hard to understand for the first time player, but hopefully these rules will give you the basic understanding of the game, and enough to allow you to play in your local Omaha 8 or better games.

In Omaha 8 or better the lowest hand wins half the pot and the highest hand wins half of the pot. This means that if your best five card hand is only a pair, but your lowest five card hand is only 8 high then you would want to play to win half of the pot with your low hand. In order to qualify for a low hand, you must have at least an 8 low, and the strength of your low hand is determined by the highest low card that you have. Flushes and straights do not take away from your low hand, and in some situations they allow you to win both the high and low pot. When I say that you are trying to get a low hand, I mean that you are trying to make the weakest hand possible which usually consists of no pairs or better, and then the lowest high cards you can make. In this game, the best hand you can have is A 2 3 4 5 because that is a straight so it will win the high, and it is the lowest possible 5 cards so it will win the low. This hand is called a wheel. When I say that you can also play for a high hand, I just mean that half of the pot will go to the best five card hand just like in normal Omaha high. After explaining the basic idea of high low, I will now just guide you through the normal rules which are very similar to that of Omaha and holdem.


How many people at the table? General notion goes that there should be no more then 9-10 people at a table, and no less then 5-7 to start off with. Players can run out of money, and eventually if the game is continuous you will get down to two players (heads up play) and then eventually one.


Getting started: There are four cards that are dealt face down to each player that is involved in the hand at that moment. After the four face down cards are dealt, the two players to the left of the dealer are forced to post blinds (a bet without looking at your cards that is rotated around the table in the form of a big and small blind. Usually the small blind is 1/2 the amount of the big blind.) Along with blinds, there can also be an ante but this is not always played with when you use blinds.


As soon as the blinds are posted, the initial round of betting can start, usually with the player to the left of the big blind. Often times, this rule will be changed and just the player to the left of the dealer will start the initial round of bets. During this round of bets you have the option to call the blind, raise the blind, fold, or check if you are in the big blind. This round of betting ends when the final bet made by the big blind is either a check or call.


As soon as the round of betting ends, the dealer burns one card (places it face down) and then deals out 3 cards face up. These cards are known as community cards and are referred to as the flop. You can now use those 3 community cards to make you best or lowest 5 card hand, but keep in mind you still have 2 more community cards coming. After the flop there is a round of betting which goes about the same way as explained above.


After this round of betting is over, the dealer burns one more card and then places one card face up. This is called the turn or fourth street, and is your 4th community card of 5. You now try to make your highest or lowest 5 card hand using a selected two of the four cards that you were dealt face down and 3 of the 4 community cards. A round of betting occurs, and after this the dealer burns one last card and then deals face up the last community card.


This card is known as the river or 5th street, and is the last card that you have. You now have all the cards that you will get, and you must use your two of your four face down cards plus three from the community cards to make your highest or lowest five card hand. A round of betting occurs and the best hand wins unless you fold because of a bluff.


Remember that you can only use two of your four cards so this not only gives you more possibilities to make a hand, but it also give your opponent more options.


I know that Omaha 8 or better seems confusing at first, but once you learn the basics you will realize why this game is one of my favorites to play. If you have anymore questions on this variation of poker or any others please feel free to contact me.


Depending on what kind of stakes you are playing you must make sure that your bets are following the rules. In no limit you obviously can bet it all, but in some games you can only bet the size of the pot or there is a limit to each bet. The reason a card is burned before each set of community cards is dealt is so that there can be no cheating. The ranking of hands are the same as followed in holdem, but I will post them again in this set of rules.


Hand Rankings for high
High card- Ace high
Pair- Two Aces
Two pair- Two Aces and Two kings. Highest pair wins.
Three of a kind- Three aces
Straight- five cards in sequential order such as 10 J Q K A
Flush- five cards of the same suit and highest card in the flush wins if two or more players have flushes. Full house- Three of a kind and a pair. Highest three of a kind wins. 4 of a kind- four cards such as 4 aces. Straight flush- five cards in sequential order all of the same suit. Highest card in the straight flush wins. Royal flush- 10 J Q K A suited.


Hand rankings for low
To qualify for a low you must have at least an 8 low.
The low of your hand is determined by the highest low card that you hold in your 5 card hand. The best hand to win both the high and low is A 2 3 4 5.


Resources
Play Omaha Online Poker
Omaha Hi/Low Rules