Omaha Hi/Low: Basic Summary
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 is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. After all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players often get baffled. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to 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 hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in nearly every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an amazing range of betting options and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high, along with many battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.