Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi lo starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants often get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical approach in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, following a few hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of the game easily enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/low provides an exciting array of wagering choices and because you have numerous players shooting for the high, as well as a few trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.
