Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha hi/lo starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants often get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.
While it seems complex initially, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha High-Low offers an amazing collection of betting choices and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high hand, along with several battling for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi low.
