Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players often get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated initially, after a few hands you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of the game simply enough. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting array of betting options and owing to the fact that you have several players shooting for the high hand, as well as a few battling for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.
