Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha hi/low begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting happens. After all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants can get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems difficult at the start, following a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi-low provides an exciting collection of betting options and because you have numerous individuals trying for the high hand, as well as many trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha hi/low.
