Omaha Hi Lo: Fundamental Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not 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 below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems complicated at the start, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of play simply enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting array of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high hand, along with a few trying for the low. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi/lo.
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