02.03
Omaha Hi/Low: General Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi-low starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further round of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players can get baffled. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card 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’s the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. 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 high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems complicated at first, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/low offers an amazing array of betting possibilities and because you have several players shooting for the high, as well as many trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.