Omaha Hi/Low: Basic Summary
Posted in Poker on 10/20/2018 10:25 am by Nolan
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same approach 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 don’t count. the lowest 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 don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at the outset, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the base subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha hi lo provides an exciting array of betting possibilities and seeing that you have many players trying for the high hand, along with many battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha Hi-Lo.