Omaha Hi Lo: General Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players can get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal 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 is the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in just about every poker game.
A lower 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 worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the start, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting collection of wagering options and seeing that you have numerous players trying for the high, along with many trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.
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