Omaha Hi/Lo: Basic Summary
October 22nd, 2015 at 8:21
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi low starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting ensues and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants can get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing assortment of wagering possibilities and because you have many individuals shooting for the high, as well as many shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.