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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible variation, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players often get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in almost every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since 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 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 entire pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming assortment of betting possibilities and because you have several players shooting for the high hand, as well as many battling for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.