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 popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha hi/lo starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of entrants often get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

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

The lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. 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 entire pot.

It may seem complicated at first, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/lo offers an exciting collection of wagering possibilities and because you have several individuals trying for the high hand, and several battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.