Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi low starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more round of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants often get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems difficult initially, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the base nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have players 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 amazing array of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high, as well as many battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.
