06.02
Omaha Hi-Low: Basic Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha hi lo starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same notion in almost all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. 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 made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complicated initially, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have players 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/8 provides an amazing array of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have several players battling for the high hand, along with many battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha Hi-Lo.