Omaha Hi-Lo: General Summary

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

Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where some players often get flustered. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

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

A lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, 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 lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.

Although it seems complex at the outset, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting range of wagering choices and seeing that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, and a few battling for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.