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 variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where some players can get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no 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 is the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in nearly every poker game.

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

It may seem complicated initially, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing collection of wagering possibilities and because you have many players battling for the high, as well as several battling for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.