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 game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further round of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players often get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 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, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complex initially, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi lo provides an overwhelming array of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals battling for the high hand, along with several battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.
