Omaha

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of players often get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in nearly every poker game.

A low hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.

While it seems difficult at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to get the basic subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting array of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have numerous players trying for the high, as well as several shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.