Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha hi/low starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some players get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical approach in almost all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
Although it seems complex at the start, following a few rounds you will be able to get the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting array of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players trying for the high hand, along with many trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.
