Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further round of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in nearly all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing assortment of betting options and owing to the fact that you have several individuals battling for the high, along with several shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
