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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants often get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the basic nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming collection of wagering options and because you have several individuals shooting for the high, along with several trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
