Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up 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, no less. Unlike regular 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 is the best possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
Although it seems difficult at first, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting range of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several players shooting for the high, along with many trying for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi low.
