Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex at first, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an amazing collection of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, as well as several shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha Hi-Lo.