5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo is an exciting game derived from Omaha Hi/Lo. Each player in a 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo game is dealt five private cards (‘hole cards’) that belong only to that player. Five community cards are dealt face-up on the ‘board’. All players use exactly two cards from their five hole cards in conjunction with exactly 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, 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo. You may use different combinations of two cards from your hand to make your high hand and your low hand, but in each hand you must use precisely two from your hand and three from the board - no more, no less. Visit the poker hands page to view the rankings of hands in 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo.
5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo is played with an ‘8 or better’ qualifier, which means that a low hand must consist of five different ranks of cards ranked eight or below, to be eligible to win the low portion of the pot. Low hands in 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo are determined in exactly the same way they're determined in Omaha Hi/Lo. If there is no qualifying low hand, the high hand wins the entire pot.
5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo uses the ‘Ace to Five’ or ‘California’ system for ranking low hands. Straights and flushes do not count against a hand, and Aces are always low in reading the low hand, so the best possible hand is a ’wheel’: 5, 4, 3, 2, A. To help understand the ranks of low hands, the following sample qualifying low hands (not a complete list) are ranked from least powerful (#1, will rarely win the low half of the pot) to most powerful (#10, the ‘nuts’):
Note that a low hand is always ranked from its highest card downwards. So for example, hand #9 is known as a ‘Six-low’ because its highest card is a Six. Hand #5 is a ‘Seven-low’, and Hand #1 is an ‘Eight-low’. In poker slang, you distinguish between close low hands by going further down the ranks, so hand #9 would be called a ‘Six-Four low’, which beats hand #8, a ‘Six-Five low’.
Also remember that straights and flushes do not count against your low hand, so making a qualifying low that is also a straight or a flush is a very powerful hand, that could win both the high and low halves of the pot, which is called a ‘scoop’.
5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo can be played in the following formats:
In 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo, a marker called ‘the button’ or ‘the dealer button’ indicates which player is the nominal dealer for the current game. Before the game begins, the player immediately clockwise from the button posts the ‘small blind’, the first forced bet. The player immediately clockwise from the small blind posts the ‘big blind’, which is typically twice the size of the small blind, but the blinds can vary depending on the stakes and betting structure being played.
In Fixed Limit games, the big blind is the same as the small bet, and the small blind is typically half the size of the big blind but may be larger depending on the stakes. For example, in a $2/$4 Fixed Limit game the small blind is $1 and the big blind is $2. In a $15/$30 Fixed Limit game, the small blind is $10 and the big blind is $15.
In Pot Limit and No Limit games, the games are referred to by the size of their blinds (for example, a $1/$2 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo game has a small blind of $1 and a big blind of $2).
After each player has received their five hole cards, betting action proceeds clockwise around the table, starting with the player ‘under the gun’ (immediately clockwise from the big blind).
After seeing his or her hole cards, each player now has the option to play their hand by calling or raising the big blind. The action begins to the left of the big blind, which is considered a ‘live’ bet on this round. That player has the option to fold, call or raise. For example, if the big blind was $2, it would cost $2 to call, or at least $4 to raise. Action then proceeds clockwise around the table.
Note: The betting structure varies with different variations of the game. Explanations of the betting action in Limit 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo, Pot Limit 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo, and No Limit 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo can be found below.
Betting continues on each betting round until all active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in the pot.
After the first round of betting is complete, 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 from the button. Another round of betting ensues. In Limit 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo, all bets and raises on the flop are in increments of the small bet (for example, $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 a 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo game. Play begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. Another round of betting ensues. In Limit 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo, bets and raises on the turn are in increments of the big bet (for example, $4 in a $2/$4 game).
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 a 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo game. Betting begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. A final betting round ensues.
If there is more than one remaining player when the final betting round is complete, the last person to bet or raise shows their cards, unless there was no bet on the final round in which case the player immediately clockwise from the button shows their cards first. The player with the best five-card hand for high wins half the pot, and the player with the best five-card hand for low wins the other half. Remember, in all 5 Card Omaha games, players must use two (and only two) of their five hole cards in combination with exactly 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 (i.e. is an ‘Eight low’ or better), the best hand(s) for high wins the whole pot.
After the pot is awarded, a new 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo game is ready to be played. The button now moves clockwise to the next player.
5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo rules remain the same for Limit, No Limit and Pot Limit poker games, with a few exceptions:
In the PokerStars software, it’s not possible to bet less than the minimum or more than the maximum. The bet slider and bet window will only allow you to bet amounts within the allowed thresholds
If you are unfamiliar with 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo, we recommend you try that poker game out to get a feel for how the game is played. You are always welcome to play on the free poker tables at PokerStars, so that you can sharpen your skills before playing real money poker.
Finally, if you like to play other Hi/Lo variants, we recommend you check out Stud Hi/Lo or Omaha Hi/Lo. Both games are a nice change of pace from the amazingly popular Texas Hold’em game, and they also are both available in our poker tournaments selection.
As well as 5 Card Omaha Hi/Lo, we also offer many other poker variants. See our Poker Games page to learn more.