Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players get flustered. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same concept in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five 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 available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, following a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha High-Low offers an overwhelming range of betting options and owing to the fact that you have several individuals trying for the high, along with a few trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha High-Low.
