Omaha Hi/Low: General Summary
Posted in Poker on 04/05/2019 05:25 pm by Felipe
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as 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 below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated initially, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of the game easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an exciting assortment of betting choices and because you have several individuals trying for the high hand, as well as many trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.