Omaha Hi Lo: Basic Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi/lo begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants often get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical concept in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem difficult initially, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting range of betting options and because you have numerous players battling for the high hand, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.
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