Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. Once all the players have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is flipped. The players will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems complex at the start, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi low offers an overwhelming assortment of wagering possibilities and because you have several players battling for the high hand, and several battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.
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