Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi/lo begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants often get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical approach in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the worst 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 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 just like the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems complex at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of the game easily enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming array of betting choices and seeing that you have several players trying for the high hand, and a few battling for the low hand. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha High-Low.
