Omaha Hi/Low: Fundamental Outline
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 variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players often get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no 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 just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in just about all poker games.
The low 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 weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complicated at the outset, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game simply enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming collection of wagering possibilities and because you have numerous individuals trying for the high, and several shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.