Omaha Hi Lo: Basic Outline
Posted in Poker on 11/17/2009 01:21 am by Rudy
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi-low begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants can get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can 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, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst 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 eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at first, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming array of betting options and because you have several individuals trying for the high hand, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.