Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just 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 fold. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants can get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complex initially, following a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi lo offers an exciting collection of betting options and because you have several players shooting for the high, as well as several battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.
