Omaha Hi/Low: Basic Overview
November 12th, 2009 at 9:22
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible variation, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting follows where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players often get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can 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 lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing range of betting options and because you have many individuals shooting for the high hand, and several shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha hi low.