Omaha Hi/Low: General Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi/low starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants often get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at first, after a few hands you will be able to get the basic nuances of play simply enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming range of wagering choices and because you have several players battling for the high hand, as well as a few shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.
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