Omaha Hi-Low: Fundamental Summary
Posted in Poker on 11/03/2009 09:22 pm by Shelby
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants can get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. 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 made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem difficult initially, following a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha Hi-Lo provides an overwhelming collection of betting choices and seeing that you have several individuals shooting for the high, and several trying for the low. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.