Omaha Hi-Low: Basic Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complicated at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be able to get the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an amazing assortment of betting choices and because you have many players trying for the high, as well as many trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.