Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants often get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same notion 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 do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems complex at the outset, following a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi-low offers an exciting collection of wagering options and seeing that you have many individuals battling for the high, and a few shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha Hi-Lo.
