Omaha Hi/Low: General Summary


Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more round of betting happens. After all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of players can get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in almost every poker game.

A lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.

While it seems difficult at first, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the basic subtleties of play simply enough. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting assortment of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have many players trying for the high hand, along with several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha High-Low.

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