Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi-low begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants often get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in almost all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest 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 five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complicated at first, after a few hands you will be able to get the base subtleties of the game simply enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an exciting assortment of betting options and seeing that you have many individuals trying for the high hand, along with many battling for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi lo.
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