Omaha Hi/Lo: General Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary 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 every player. A sequence of wagering follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. After all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can 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 lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complex initially, after a few hands you will be able to get the base subtleties 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 overwhelming array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many players battling for the high hand, as well as several battling for the low. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi/low.
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