Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants often get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize exactly three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to 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 strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. 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 higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi low provides an overwhelming assortment of betting choices and because you have numerous individuals battling for the high, and a few battling for the low. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.
