Omaha Hi Low: General Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The players will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’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 normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just 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 is the very same approach in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
Although it seems complicated initially, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play easily enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an exciting array of wagering options and seeing that you have numerous players shooting for the high, along with several battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi/low.