Omaha

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of players get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical notion in nearly all poker games.

A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.

While it seems complex at first, after a few hands you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of play with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting range of wagering options and because you have several players shooting for the high hand, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha Hi-Lo.