Omaha Hi/Low: Basic Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants often get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 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 "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi-low offers an overwhelming collection of wagering options and seeing that you have numerous individuals battling for the high, and several shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.