Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants often get flustered. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complex at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of play with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting range of wagering choices and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high, along with several trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi-low.
