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 is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in nearly every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems difficult at first, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic subtleties of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha High-Low provides an exciting range of wagering choices and seeing that you have numerous players trying for the high, as well as a few shooting for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.
