Starting Hand Requirements for Omaha Hi-Lo Poker

In this lesson, we’ll break down three key categories of Omaha Hi-Lo (O8) starting hands and identify which ones qualify as true powerhouse hands.

We’ll also highlight solid Omaha/8 starting hands, along with those that are playable but demand a more cautious approach.

Of course, it’s important to remember, you won’t be dealt a premium Omaha/8 hand every time you play.

Powerhouse Omaha/8 Starting Hands

This is my favourite starting hand in Omaha/8 since it gives top pair, two nut flush draws, and a great draw to the nut low, including counterfeit protection. Counterfeit protection means that if an ace, deuce, or trey hits the board, you still have the two best low cards to put with it.

As an example, if the final board were K-2-5-Q-4, your deuce would have been counterfeited but you would still have the nut low (using one of your aces and the trey) as well as a straight. If three of the cards were either clubs or spades, you would have the nut flush for high with a wheel (five-high straight) for low.

This would be a very good holding, hoping to scoop the entire pot. If another player held the nut low as well, but your high hand was the winner, you would win three-quarters of the pot, made up of the high half and half of the low half.

While this Omaha/8 hand offers no low possibility, since you must use two cards from your hand, it does offer two nut flushes, straight possibilities with two different high pairs, which could make sets, and then, if the board pairs, very good full houses.

This is the type of hand where you hope that no one qualifies for low and you can scoop the pot with just a winning high hand. However, there’s a danger in flopping a set with your pair of aces, or with any pair that’s eight or lower.

The danger is that you’ve already put one low card on the board, and you may be vying for only half the pot instead of all of it.

This is an excellent Omaha/8 starting hand because you have four low cards offering double counterfeit protection coupled with straight draws and the nut flush draw. Having the three and four suited does not add value as a four high flush with three of that suit on the board is really a liability and not an asset.

Good Omaha/8 Starting Hands

This hand offers no potential for a low, so your ideal flop should feature all high cards—preferably including a ten. You also have two flush draws: one to the nut flush and another to the second nut. When the flop comes with no, or just one, low card, you should play aggressively—raising and re-raising to make it costly for low hands to chase.

Your goal here is to scoop the pot with a strong high hand. If you’re in a late position and several players have already entered the pot, it’s a great opportunity to raise.

Most opponents will be focused on low hands, and a crowded field usually means the deck is rich in high cards—an advantage for you. If the flop brings big cards, you’re well-positioned to win the entire pot. But if it’s all low cards, don’t hesitate to fold and move on.

This Omaha/8 hand offers the opportunity of a nut flush, nut low and straight draws. With a pair you can also flop a set or even quads. Counterfeit protection is part of its upside as well. This is a good hand that is not quite a powerhouse.

While you usually want an ace in your hand, this Omaha/8 hand represents very good counterfeit protection. Obviously, you would like to see an ace and two small cards hit the flop, which would give you a nut low.

The straight draws enhance the value of this starting hand. You’ll notice this isn’t double-suited, since a four- or five-high flush is really of no value. This hand’s value is in straights and lows with counterfeit protection.

Playable with Some Caution, Starting Hands

This is an example of a playable Omaha/8 hand that warrants caution. While there are two flush draws and a myriad of straight draws, they are all somewhat problematic.

In an action game like Omaha/8, where there is frequent raising, it can be very expensive to wind up with a second-best hand for high or low.

With a hand like this, if you make a low hand, it is unlikely to be the best low, and even a straight may not be the nut straight. Moreover, any flush you make may not be the best flush either.

This hand is a far cry from the two pair hand of A-A-K-K which was highlighted in the powerhouse section. While it looks good, including the straight possibilities and jack-high flush draw, caution is recommended anytime you’re not drawing to the nuts. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play them, but it does mean you should be a bit cautious when you do.

Here is another hand that on the surface looks pretty good with draws to both a king- and queen-high flush, straight draws, and two good low cards. While the winning hand can certainly be made with this start, the hand can also lead to trouble with a capital “T”. This hand exemplifies just how important an ace in your starting hand really is. You cannot make a nut flush or a nut straight or a nut low unless an ace comes on the board.

I’ve offered three examples in each of the three categories to highlight what I believe represent the powerhouses —just good, as cautiously playable starting hands. Obviously this is not meant to be a complete listing but to give you a sense of the upsides and downsides of Omaha/8 starting hands.

As with all forms of poker, your starting hand values need to be viewed in concert with your position, the texture of the game, your opponents’ playing styles, as well as your own style and the degree of risk you enjoy.