Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players often get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting range of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have several individuals battling for the high, as well as many shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.
