Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. After all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants get confused. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal 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 is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as 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 8 and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems complicated at the outset, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental subtleties of play simply enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an amazing range of wagering options and seeing that you have several individuals battling for the high hand, and several shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.
