Big O (5 Card Omaha hi/lo 8 or better)

This game doesn’t need much of an intro. Omaha Hi/Lo 8 or better but with an extra card in every had — funny how big of a difference once card can make

Community Cards: 5 | Player Cards: 4 | Betting Rounds: 4

Each player is dealt 5 cards face down, and the game is played just like Omaha. The important things to note are the addition of a a fifth card, taking possible 2 card combinations in your hand from 6 to 10, and the addition of a lo pot 8 or better.

Quick Recap of Hi/Low Games

Hi/low 8 or better means that the pot will be split by at least two players. The hi hand doesn’t change from standard 5 card poker. The low hand, however, includes a bit of nuance that is important to understand before playing these games.

• A low hand is composed of any two cards from a player’s hand, and any three cards from the board (community cards)
• A qualifying low hand is defined as five unpaired cards, all with ranks at or below 8
• Aces are considered low for the low hand and hi for the hi hand
• Flushes and straights are ignored for the low, meaning the best low possible is A-2–3–4–5 regardless of suits
• Suits do not count toward a low; any players sharing the exact same low must equally split the low half of the pot. (Winning half of the Low pot, and nothing from the High pot is known as being quartered.)
• Low hands are counted from the top down, meaning the hand is only as good as its highest card.
• Any hand with a pair, or with a card higher than 8, does not qualify, even if the rank of the pair is below 8
• If there are not 3 community cards, unpaired and lower than 8, than there cannot be a low hand

Step By Step Instructions:

Deal each player 5 cards face down. Initiate the first betting round.

Burn one card (place in the discard pile) and deal 3 cards face up in a horizontal row (the flop). Initiate the second betting round.

Burn another card and deal a 4th community card face up next to the flop (the turn). Initiate fourth betting round.

Burn one last card and deal a fifth and final community card face up next to the turn (the river). Initiate final betting round

Showdown

Remaining players flip their cards and the winner is determined based on which player can make the best 5 card hand using any combination of 2 cards from their hand and the 5 community cards. Players MUST use 2 cards from their hand and 3 cards from the board, and a player can use any 2 cards from their hand for the hi and low hands (don’t have to use the same cards for both)