Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants often get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same notion in nearly every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but really free’s 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 value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems complex at first, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/low offers an overwhelming collection of wagering options and seeing that you have several players shooting for the high hand, along with many shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
