Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical approach in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not 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 value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult at the start, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming assortment of wagering choices and because you have several individuals shooting for the high hand, and many shooting 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.
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