Omaha Hi/Low: Fundamental Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further round of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players can get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t 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 lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem difficult initially, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play simply enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing range of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several individuals battling for the high, and many shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
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