Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha hi lo starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more round of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same approach in almost all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems difficult initially, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play 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 in play, Omaha hi low offers an amazing range of betting possibilities and because you have several players battling for the high, as well as a few trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.