Omaha Hi/Lo: Basic Summary
December 16th, 2017 at 17:25
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated at the start, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi lo offers an exciting array of betting options and because you have many players battling for the high, along with several battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.