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 game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further round of wagering happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use precisely three 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 two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in almost every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of the game simply enough. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha High-Low offers an amazing assortment of betting choices and seeing that you have many individuals shooting for the high, and several trying for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.
