Omaha

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where many entrants often get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use 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 can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical concept in almost every poker game.

The low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the complete pot.

Although it seems difficult at first, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game simply enough. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an exciting array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high, and many trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.