Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants get confused. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same approach in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complex at the start, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting array of wagering choices and because you have numerous players shooting for the high, and many battling for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi low.
