Omaha Hi-Low: Basic Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, 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 value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the outset, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of play easily enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting array of betting possibilities and seeing that you have several individuals battling for the high, and many trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.