Read more about the
Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha Hi-Lo begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where some entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in almost all poker games.

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 value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.

It may seem difficult initially, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming array of wagering possibilities and because you have several players trying for the high hand, and many trying for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.