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Omaha Hi/Lo: General Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants often get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card 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 best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could 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 smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at first, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have several players battling for the high, and a few battling for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha hi/lo.