Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi lo begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants can get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not 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 smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complicated at the outset, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/lo provides an amazing assortment of betting possibilities and because you have many individuals shooting for the high, along with several shooting for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.
