Omaha Hi Lo: General Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi lo begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. 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 just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complicated initially, following a few hands you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of the game easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an exciting collection of wagering options and because you have several individuals battling for the high hand, along with many battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.