Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players often get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might 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 every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical approach in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might 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 possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems difficult at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play easily enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming range of wagering possibilities and because you have many individuals battling for the high, as well as many battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
