Omaha Hi/Low: Basic Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same concept in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s 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 put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the start, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi-low offers an exciting range of betting options and because you have numerous players battling for the high, and several battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.
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