Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of wagering happens. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same approach in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the fundamental subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing assortment of betting choices and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high hand, along with many battling for the low. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
