Omaha Hi Low: Fundamental Summary
Posted in Poker on 11/14/2022 06:25 pm by Christopher
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some players get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at first, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha Hi-Lo provides an overwhelming collection of betting possibilities and because you have several players battling for the high, as well as a few shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.