Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more round of wagering happens. After all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players often get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low 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 is the very same approach in almost all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest 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 five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the fundamental 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 being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing collection of betting choices and seeing that you have several individuals battling for the high, as well as several battling for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.
