Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might 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 smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems complicated at the start, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/lo offers an amazing array of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several players battling for the high, as well as a few battling for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha hi-low.
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