Omaha Hi Low: Basic Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players can get confused. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in nearly all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at first, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing assortment of wagering choices and because you have many players shooting for the high hand, as well as a few battling for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
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