Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting happens. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high 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, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
Although it seems complex at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to get the base nuances of play simply enough. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi-low provides an amazing range of wagering options and because you have several players battling for the high hand, and a few trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.
