Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering ensues where players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players can get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may 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 every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might 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 low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at first, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi low offers an amazing range of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several players battling for the high hand, as well as many battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.
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