Omaha

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha/8 begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of betting follows where players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where some players can get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

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

A low hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.

While it seems complicated at the outset, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming assortment of wagering options and seeing that you have many players trying for the high, as well as several battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.