07.10
Omaha Hi-Lo: General Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues where players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants can get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult initially, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/lo provides an amazing assortment of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, along with many trying for the low. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.