Omaha Hi/Lo: Basic Overview
Posted in Omaha on 05/11/2020 10:25 am by Fernanda
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low 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 is the same concept in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that 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 wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems complicated initially, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha Hi-Lo provides an exciting collection of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have many players shooting for the high hand, and several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.