Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha Hi-Lo starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players often get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems complex at the outset, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an amazing range of betting possibilities and because you have several individuals battling for the high, as well as a few trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha hi lo.
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