Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi lo starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming collection of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have several individuals shooting for the high hand, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
