Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a regular 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 handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in just about every poker game.
The low 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 weakest hand that could be put together, with the worst 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 value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing assortment of wagering choices and seeing that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, and several shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.
