Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi/low starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants can get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at first, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the base nuances of play with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an exciting assortment of wagering options and seeing that you have many individuals trying for the high hand, as well as many battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.
