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, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha Hi-Lo starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering happens. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical approach in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems complex at first, following a few rounds you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing array of betting possibilities and seeing that you have several individuals trying for the high, as well as a few shooting for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha hi lo.
