Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular 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 best possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same approach in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems complex at the start, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an exciting assortment of wagering options and seeing that you have several individuals trying for the high hand, along with many battling for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
