Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants often get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike 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 best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t 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 low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems difficult at first, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha hi lo provides an overwhelming array of wagering possibilities and because you have several individuals shooting for the high, and many shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi lo.
