Omaha Hi/Low: Basic Overview
Posted in Omaha on 02/13/2024 06:25 am by Fernanda
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It is 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 expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting happens. After all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game simply enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an overwhelming array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have numerous individuals trying for the high, as well as several trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi/lo.