Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players can get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult at the start, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming array of wagering choices and seeing that you have several players trying for the high, along with several battling for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha hi-low.