Omaha Hi Lo: Basic Summary
Posted in Omaha on 12/01/2015 11:21 am by Dale
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi low starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players can get flustered. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complex at first, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play easily enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing collection of wagering options and seeing that you have several players shooting for the high hand, as well as a few trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi lo.