Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further round of betting ensues and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical approach in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest 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 lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complex initially, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing collection of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players shooting for the high, as well as several battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
