Omaha Hi Low: Basic Summary
March 2nd, 2016 at 12:21
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi/low begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some players get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complex at the start, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an exciting array of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous individuals battling for the high hand, and several shooting for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.