Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular 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 amazingly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in almost all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of 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 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 lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi-low provides an exciting collection of wagering choices and because you have several players trying for the high hand, and several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.
