Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players can get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 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 "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same approach in almost all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems complex at first, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi-low offers an exciting range of wagering options and seeing that you have many individuals shooting for the high, along with many battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.
