Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. After all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players often get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high 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, etc. It is the very same notion in nearly every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but really free’s 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 put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
While it seems complicated at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming range of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have several individuals battling for the high, along with several shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi/low.
