Omaha

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha/8 starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of entrants can get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in almost every poker game.

A lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not 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 high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.

It may seem difficult at the start, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha High-Low provides an amazing assortment of betting possibilities and because you have many players shooting for the high hand, along with many trying for the low. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.