Omaha Hi/Low: General Outline
December 30th, 2015 at 2:21
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi low provides an overwhelming collection of betting options and seeing that you have numerous individuals battling for the high, along with several shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.