Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants can get flustered. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t 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 takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at first, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an amazing assortment of wagering options and because you have many players shooting for the high hand, as well as many battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.