Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi low starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants often get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same approach in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems difficult at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/low offers an exciting assortment of wagering options and seeing that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, and several shooting for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.
