Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The players will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some players get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize precisely three cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest value 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 value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, after a few hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting collection of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have several players trying for the high hand, and many shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.
