Omaha Hi Lo: General Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players get confused. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since 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 below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting assortment of wagering possibilities and because you have many players shooting for the high hand, along with many shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
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