Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. 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 almost all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst 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 low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.
While it seems complex initially, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting collection of wagering choices and because you have several individuals battling for the high, as well as many trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.
