Omaha Hi Lo: Basic Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some players get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same approach in nearly every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complex at the start, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of play with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an exciting assortment of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have many players shooting for the high hand, as well as several shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
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