Omaha Hi/Lo: General Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi-low starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. After all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants can get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower 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. It is the identical notion in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, 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 put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the start, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of play simply enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing assortment of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, as well as many trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
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