Omaha Hi/Low: General Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi lo starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants get baffled. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest 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 nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as 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 eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems complex at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming array of betting options and seeing that you have many players trying for the high hand, and many trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha Hi-Lo.
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