Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants can get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower 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. It’s the identical approach in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, 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 smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complex initially, after a few rounds you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of play easily enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an exciting assortment of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high, and several trying for the low hand. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.
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