Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same notion in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem difficult initially, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of the game simply enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming collection of betting options and because you have many players battling for the high hand, and many trying for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi low.
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