Omaha Hi Lo: Basic Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha Hi-Lo starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players often get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher 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, etc. It’s the very same approach in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems difficult initially, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of play simply enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming collection of wagering options and because you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, as well as several trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi lo.
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