Omaha Hi-Low: General Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players often get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. 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.
Although it seems difficult at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to get the basic subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing collection of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, as well as a few trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.