Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players can get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing assortment of betting choices and because you have numerous individuals trying for the high, along with many shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha hi lo.