Omaha Hi/Lo: Basic Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players get confused. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complicated initially, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming range of wagering possibilities and because you have several individuals battling for the high, as well as a few trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.
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