Omaha Hi/Lo: Fundamental Overview
Posted in Poker on 10/31/2022 09:25 pm by Felipe
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha hi lo begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering happens. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players can get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not 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 takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated at the outset, following a few hands you will be able to get the basic subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming range of wagering choices and because you have several players battling for the high hand, and a few shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.