Omaha Hi-Lo: General Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players often get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
While it seems difficult at first, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play easily enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting collection of betting possibilities and because you have several players battling for the high hand, as well as a few battling for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.
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