Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. Once all the players have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players often get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the outset, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming collection of betting options and owing to the fact that you have many players battling for the high hand, and many battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi lo.
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