Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants can get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card 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 exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in nearly every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem difficult initially, following a few rounds you will be able to get the base nuances of play easily enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing assortment of betting possibilities and because you have numerous individuals shooting for the high hand, as well as many trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha Hi-Lo.
