Omaha Hi-Low: General Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players can get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might 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 smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
Although it seems complicated at first, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting range of betting possibilities and seeing that you have many individuals battling for the high hand, as well as several shooting for the low. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.