Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players often get confused. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
While it seems difficult initially, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha Hi-Lo provides an overwhelming array of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have several individuals shooting for the high, as well as many battling for the low. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha hi-low.