Omaha high-low is a split pot game. This means that there are opportunities to make the best high and low poker hand. Half the pot is awarded to a player with the best high hand and half the pot is awarded to a player who has the best low hand. If no low hand is feasible or no one qualifies for a low hand, the entire pot goes to the high hand. The goal is to have both the best high hand and low (called scooping the pot).
The high hand
The high hand is exactly the same as in a regular game of Omaha, the best poker hand that is “normal”, which starts at the top with a royal flush and falls down. Similarly, as in regular Omaha, one must use two (exactly two) of cards and three (exactly three) of the board cards when making a hand.
The low hand
The low hand is slightly more complicated to understand. Must still use two hole cards with three of the board cards to qualify for the low hand. However, all low hands must be Eight or lower (the lower the better). An Eight low contains an Eight and four lower cards, a Seven low contains a Seven and four lower cards, and so on. The best possible low is called a wheel and is Five high, 5-4-3-2-A (a Five high straight). The worst possible low is 8-7-6-5-4 (an Eight high straight). Consequently, because there is a possible low on the board, there must be at least three cards Eight or lower on the board.
