Omaha Hi/Lo: General Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi/lo begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants can get baffled. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical approach in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complex at the start, after a few hands you will be able to get the base nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/lo provides an overwhelming assortment of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have many players trying for the high hand, as well as a few trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.