Omaha Hi/Low: Fundamental Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha Hi-Lo starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt 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 baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in almost every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that 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 smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be able to get the base nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals 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 offers an exciting array of wagering options and because you have numerous individuals trying for the high hand, as well as a few battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.
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