Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complex at the start, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing assortment of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high hand, as well as many battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.
