Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players can get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming assortment of wagering options and seeing that you have several players battling for the high hand, as well as several shooting for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha Hi-Lo.
