Omaha Hi-Low: General Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers 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 few entrants get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
While it seems difficult at first, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have people 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 hi/low provides an overwhelming array of betting possibilities and seeing that you have several individuals trying for the high hand, as well as many battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.
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