Omaha Hi Lo: General Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting follows where players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players can get flustered. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical approach in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the worst 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 possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem difficult at first, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an exciting range of betting choices and because you have many players battling for the high, along with several battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.