06.17
Omaha Hi Lo: General Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants often get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low 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 low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems difficult initially, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic subtleties of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting range of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players trying for the high, as well as many battling for the low hand. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.