Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. After all the players have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players can get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical concept in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complex at the start, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an amazing range of betting possibilities and seeing that you have several players trying for the high, as well as several battling for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.
