Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high 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 same concept in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play simply enough. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an amazing assortment of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have many players battling for the high hand, along with a few trying for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.
