Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of wagering happens. After all the players have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players often get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize exactly three cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in almost all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since 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 eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem difficult initially, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting array of betting possibilities and because you have many individuals trying for the high, and many battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha hi lo.
November 14th, 2017
Zayne
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