Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha hi low starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players can get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s 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 put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems difficult at first, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances 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 once, Omaha hi/low offers an exciting assortment of betting options and owing to the fact that you have many players battling for the high hand, and many battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
