Omaha Hi/Lo: General Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting happens. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players can get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may 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 every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in nearly all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can 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 value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
While it seems complicated at first, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the fundamental subtleties of the game easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players battling for the high, along with several battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.
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