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Omaha Hi-Low: General Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi/low begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players often get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complex initially, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming collection of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have several players battling for the high, and a few shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.