Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players can get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same concept in nearly every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t 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 below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complex initially, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of play simply enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing collection of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have several players battling for the high hand, along with several trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi/lo.
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