08.08
Omaha Hi Lo: General Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants can get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since 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 eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming array of betting possibilities and seeing that you have several individuals shooting for the high, as well as a few shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.