Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical notion in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly 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 could be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing assortment of betting options and seeing that you have numerous individuals battling for the high hand, and a few shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.
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