Omaha Hi-Lo: Fundamental Outline
May 3rd, 2020 at 9:25
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same approach in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complex at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting collection of wagering options and because you have many players battling for the high hand, as well as many battling for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.