Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi low starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players can get flustered. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.
While it seems complex at first, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming assortment of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous players trying for the high, as well as several battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
