Omaha Hi/Lo: General Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants can get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in nearly every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. 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 being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the basic subtleties of play with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha High-Low offers an overwhelming array of wagering options and seeing that you have numerous individuals trying for the high, and many trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
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