Omaha Hi-Lo: Basic Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi/lo starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants often get confused. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical notion in almost every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at first, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming assortment of wagering choices and because you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, as well as a few trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha hi/low.