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 well-loved poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players can get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
While it seems complicated at the outset, following a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming array of wagering options and because you have many individuals battling for the high hand, and several trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha hi/low.