Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins like a normal 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 handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of betting ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants can get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of play with ease. Since 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 Hi-Lo offers an overwhelming array of wagering choices and because you have several players battling for the high, and a few shooting for the low. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.
