Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha hi/lo begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants often get baffled. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems complex initially, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing assortment of betting options and because you have several players battling for the high, and a few shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.
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