Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting follows and then 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 the point where some entrants can get baffled. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical concept in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
While it seems complex at the outset, following a few hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game simply enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an amazing assortment of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have many individuals shooting for the high, and many shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha hi low.
