Omaha Hi Lo: General Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players can get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same approach in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t 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 below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complex at the start, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an exciting assortment of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have several players trying for the high, and many trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha hi/low.