Omaha

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of entrants often get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly 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, etc. It is the very same approach in nearly all poker games.

The lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.

It may seem difficult at first, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an exciting range of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have many players battling for the high, as well as several trying for the low hand. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.