Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complicated initially, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing collection of betting possibilities and because you have several players battling for the high hand, along with many shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.
