Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi low starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants often get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in almost every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst 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 below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
While it seems complicated at the start, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an exciting collection of betting options and owing to the fact that you have several individuals trying for the high hand, along with a few battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
