Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest 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 lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
While it seems difficult at first, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming assortment of betting options and because you have many players trying for the high, along with many shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.
