Omaha Hi/Lo: Basic Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players often get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical concept in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be able to get the basic nuances of play easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players trying for the high, as well as a few battling for the low. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.