Omaha Hi-Lo: Basic Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of betting follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players often get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at the outset, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi lo provides an exciting range of betting possibilities and because you have numerous players trying for the high, as well as several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.