Omaha Hi Lo: Basic Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants can get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in almost all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems difficult at the start, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the base subtleties of the game easily enough. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an exciting array of wagering options and seeing that you have several players battling for the high, and many battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.
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