Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical concept in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult at first, after a few rounds you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming range of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have many players shooting for the high hand, and a few shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi/lo.
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