Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering ensues where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players often get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated at the start, after a few rounds you will be able to get the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an amazing assortment of betting options and owing to the fact that you have several individuals battling for the high, as well as a few trying for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.
