Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more round of wagering happens. Once all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players can get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical concept in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 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 wins the whole pot.
Although it seems complex at the start, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming range of betting choices and seeing that you have many individuals shooting for the high hand, as well as several trying for the low hand. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.
