Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of wagering happens. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players often get confused. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems complex at the outset, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi/lo offers an exciting range of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have many individuals trying for the high hand, and a few shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.
