Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha hi-low starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players often get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical concept in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem difficult initially, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi lo offers an exciting range of wagering options and because you have numerous individuals trying for the high, and many shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.
