Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not 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 below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complex initially, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the base nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting assortment of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have many individuals shooting for the high, as well as many battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.
