Omaha Hi/Low: Fundamental Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players can get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use exactly three cards on the board, and exactly 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 exactly how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in almost all poker games.
A lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, following a few hands you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an exciting range of betting choices and seeing that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high hand, and many battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha hi/low.
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