Omaha Hi/Lo: Fundamental Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi-low begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players can get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly two 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 "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances 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 in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming range of betting choices and because you have numerous players battling for the high hand, as well as several trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
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