Omaha

Read more about the
Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha hi/lo begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where many players get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No 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 just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in nearly all poker games.

A low hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.

Although it seems complicated at the start, following a few hands you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an amazing collection of betting options and because you have several players shooting for the high, and several battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.