Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might 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, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical approach in almost all poker games.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as 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 lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complex at first, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game simply enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an amazing assortment of wagering choices and because you have several players battling for the high, as well as several battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
