Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players will have to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical approach in almost all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. 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 made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the base subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi/low offers an overwhelming assortment of betting options and seeing that you have several players shooting for the high, along with several shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
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