Omaha Hi/Low: General Outline
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’s a variation 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 grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players often get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same notion in almost every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated at the start, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming assortment of wagering possibilities and because you have numerous individuals battling for the high hand, and a few trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.