07.19
Omaha Hi Lo: Fundamental Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players often get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same notion in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems difficult initially, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting collection of betting options and because you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, along with many trying for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.