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 well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.

Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where some players often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same notion in nearly all poker games.

A low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s 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 put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.

While it seems complex at first, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game easily enough. 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 or better offers an overwhelming array of betting possibilities and because you have many players shooting for the high, as well as several shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.