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Omaha Hi/Low: Basic Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.
While it seems difficult at the outset, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming range of betting possibilities and because you have many individuals trying for the high hand, as well as several battling for the low hand. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi/low.