Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some players can get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complex initially, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of the game easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an amazing array of betting options and owing to the fact that you have many individuals battling for the high, along with a few battling for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.
