Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The players will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players can get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical notion in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an exciting assortment of wagering options and because you have several individuals battling for the high hand, and a few battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.