Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha Hi-Lo starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in nearly all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing collection of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many individuals trying for the high, as well as several battling for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha hi lo.
