Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues at which point 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 some players often get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same approach in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest value being 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 below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at first, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi low provides an exciting collection of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many individuals trying for the high, and several battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.