Omaha Hi Low: Basic Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers 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 some players often get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in nearly all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest 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 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem difficult at first, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming assortment of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several individuals trying for the high hand, and several battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha hi/low.