Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might 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, etc. It’s the identical concept in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming collection of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players trying for the high hand, along with many battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.
