Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players often get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest 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 low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complicated initially, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming collection of betting choices and seeing that you have several players trying for the high hand, along with many battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.
