Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players can get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the action. 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 worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems difficult initially, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming array of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players shooting for the high, as well as many shooting for the low. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.
