Omaha Hi-Low: Basic Outline
April 15th, 2022 at 14:25
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players can get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult initially, after a few rounds you will be able to get the basic nuances of play easily enough. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing assortment of betting possibilities and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high, as well as many trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha Hi-Lo.