Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved 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 irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players often get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in almost all poker games.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/low offers an overwhelming range of wagering choices and because you have several individuals trying for the high hand, as well as a few battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.