Why is it called O8?

[soko]

I just started playing Omaha, is there a difference between Omaha and Omaha 8, where does the '8' come from?

[FeliciaLee]

Lots of games used to be called "high/low" but then there were qualifiers which made the term virtually obsolete. It is much better to use "8" after the game if it is a high/low game with a qualifier of 8 or better.

For instance, in Stud 8, you can use any five cards 8 or lower to make your low. So say your final hand looked like this: A2356AA

You would have three aces for high, and a good 6532A for low.

The same goes for O8, for low, you need five cards which are 8 or lower (8 or better).

Felicia /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[JRegs]

"Omaha" is played for high only. The entire pot goes to the best poker hand.

"Omaha/8" is played for high and low. Half the pot goes to the best high hand, the other half goes to the best low hand (5 unpaired cards of rank 8 or lower). It is possible to win both halves.

[Stickmn24]

[ QUOTE ]
Half the pot goes to the best high hand, the other half goes to the best low hand (5 unpaired cards of rank 8 or lower).

[/ QUOTE ]

Not always. Like Felicia said, you need a qualifying low hand to collect the low half of the pot. If there is no low hand that qualifies, the high hand wins the whole pot. SO if the board is something like KJJT9 (for example), the high hand wins the pot.