How to Play Omaha Hi-Lo (Omaha/8)
Omaha Hi-Lo splits the pot between the best high hand and the best low hand (if one qualifies). The same player can scoop both halves. All Omaha rules apply -- you must use exactly two hole cards and three community cards for each direction.
The Low Hand
A qualifying low hand requires five unpaired cards all ranked 8 or lower.
Aces play low. Straights and flushes do not count against you for low. The best possible low is A-2-3-4-5 (the "wheel").
If no player has a qualifying low, the entire pot goes to the high hand winner.
Scooping and Quartering
Scoop
Win both the high and low halves of the pot. The ideal outcome -- aim to scoop, not just win one direction.
Quartered
Tie for the low (or high) with another player while losing the other half. You win only 1/4 of the pot -- often a losing result after putting in chips.
Variants: PLO4, PLO5 (Big O), PLO6 Hi-Lo
The same Hi-Lo split rules apply across 4, 5, and 6 card Omaha variants on SPN. More hole cards increase the chance of making both strong high and qualifying low hands simultaneously.
On SPN
SPN automatically evaluates both directions at showdown and splits the pot correctly. The platform flags when no qualifying low exists and awards the full pot to the high winner.