Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi lo begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could 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 same concept in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as 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 exciting assortment of betting choices and because you have many individuals shooting for the high, and a few shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.