Omaha Hi-Low: Basic Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in almost every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting assortment of betting possibilities and because you have many individuals battling for the high, and many 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 Hi-Lo.
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