03.09
Omaha Hi Lo: Fundamental Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in almost all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
Although it seems complex at the outset, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting assortment of wagering choices and because you have numerous players battling for the high hand, and several trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.