Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows and then 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 where some players get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same concept in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that 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 wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems difficult initially, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of the game easily enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have several players shooting for the high hand, along with several shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
