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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players can get flustered. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly three cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, following a few hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of the game simply enough. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi-low offers an overwhelming array of wagering possibilities and because you have numerous individuals trying for the high, and a few battling for the low. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha High-Low.
