Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex 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 primary reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha Hi-Lo starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same approach in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out 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. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
Although it seems complex at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha High-Low offers an exciting collection of wagering options and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high, as well as several shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.
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