10.09
Omaha Hi Low: General Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants can get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When determining 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. Because 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 eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, following a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing collection of wagering options and because you have numerous players trying for the high, as well as a few trying for the low. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi/lo.