Omaha Hi Lo: General Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same approach in almost all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex at first, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting array of betting possibilities and seeing that you have several players trying for the high hand, as well as several battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha Hi-Lo.