Omaha Hi/Lo: General Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly 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 primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further round of betting ensues and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants can get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complex initially, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi/low provides an exciting range of betting possibilities and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high hand, as well as many trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.
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