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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical approach in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest 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 smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems difficult at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Since 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 owing to the fact that you have many individuals trying for the high, and several battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi-low.
