Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. After all the players have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players can get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in nearly all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting assortment of betting options and owing to the fact that you have several players shooting for the high hand, as well as several trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.
