Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players often get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, 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 low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems complex at first, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting collection of betting possibilities and because you have many individuals trying for the high, as well as many battling for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.
