Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants can get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five 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 low hand presented, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting collection of wagering options and seeing that you have many players battling for the high hand, as well as many shooting for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha Hi-Lo.
