Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi-low starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming array of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have several players battling for the high, along with many trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.
