Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants can get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may 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 everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since 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 smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
Although it seems difficult at first, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming array of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have several players trying for the high, as well as a few battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha Hi-Lo.
