Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting happens. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence 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 where a number of players get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 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 hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in almost all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complicated at the start, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi-low provides an overwhelming range of betting options and because you have many players battling for the high hand, along with several shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.
