09.02
Omaha Hi/Lo: General Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst 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 lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, after a few hands you will be agile enough to get the basic subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting array of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, as well as a few shooting for the low. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha hi low.