Omaha Hi-Low: Fundamental Overview

Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha/8 begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where some entrants get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same approach in almost every poker game.

A lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.

It may seem complex at first, after a few hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming array of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high, as well as many shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.