Omaha 8 or Better Rules

Rules for Omaha 8 or Better

Omaha 8 or Better is a popular split pot version of Omaha. The game is similar to Texas Holdem, but with two twists. First, each player receives four cards and they must use two cards in their hand and three from the board to make their best five card hand. One added wrinkle to Omaha 8 is that players also can play for a low hand.

A low is a five card hand with five unique cards eight or lower. 8-5-4-3-A would be an eight low. 7-6-4-3-2 would be a seven-low. Aces play both high and low in Omaha 8 or Better. Straights and flushes do not count against your hand. As a result, the best possible low hand is A-2-3-4-5. This hand is known as the wheel. This hand also can play as a five high straight for high. Let’s now take a look at how the game is played.

Each player is dealt four cards. The player to the left of the big blind is first to act. They can either call the big blind, raise, or fold. Action then proceeds around the table until it comes back to the small blind. If nobody has raised, the small blind may call the big blind amount, raise, or fold. After the small blind acts, the big blind has an option if the pot has not been raised. The big blind may either check or raise. The big blind is the only player at the table that has an option pre-flop. If the pot is raised, then players must call, raise, or fold. Raising occurs in increments of the small bet pre-flop. In a $3-$6 game, the small bet amount is $3. In most games, there is a three raise maximum. For a $3-$6 game, the maximum amount that the pot can be raised to is $12.

After the first round of betting, three community cards are dealt in the middle just like Texas Holdem. This is the flop. Betting on the flop occurs at the small bet amount. A round of betting ensues before the turn card is dealt. Another round of betting occurs and then the river card is dealt. One last round of betting occurs and then all remaining players go to showdown.

At showdown, each player must use two cards in his hand and three cards on the board to make the best high hand. If there are three unique cards on the board eight or below, there is a possibility for a low. Players may then try and make the best low hand using two cards in their hand and three on the board. One point to note, player do not have to use the same two cards to make both hands. For example, if a player holds A-2-J-10 and the board is 3-7-8-9-K, the player may use their A-2 to make an 8 low and the J-10 to make a jack high straight.

The player with the best high hand will take half of the pot and if there is a qualifying low hand, that player wins the other half. If a player wins both halves, or if there isn’t a qualifying low hand, the player then scoops the entire pot. There are also occasions where two or more players will tie for half of the pot, typically when multiple players make low. This situation is known as quartering. If players tie for half of the pot, then that half is split between them.
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