Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same approach in nearly every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems difficult at first, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play simply enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an amazing array of betting options and because you have several players trying for the high hand, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha High-Low.
