Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same approach in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t 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. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complex at first, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi low offers an amazing assortment of betting options and owing to the fact that you have many players trying for the high hand, as well as several trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
