Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. 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 obscure variation, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants often get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no 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 how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same approach in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complicated initially, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play easily enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an amazing range of wagering options and seeing that you have many individuals battling for the high, along with many shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.
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