Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players will have to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players often get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an amazing range of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have many players trying for the high hand, along with several shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.
