Omaha Hi-Low: Fundamental Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants often get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. 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 very same approach in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest 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 presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem difficult at first, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha High-Low offers an exciting collection of wagering options and seeing that you have numerous individuals battling for the high hand, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.
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