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Omaha Hi-Lo: Basic Outline
August 12th, 2022 by Leilani

Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a few entrants often get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in nearly every poker game.

A low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.

It may seem complicated at first, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming range of wagering possibilities and because you have many individuals battling for the high hand, and many battling for the low. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi low.


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