Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants often get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same notion in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t 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. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complex at the outset, following a few rounds you will be able to get the base subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting collection of betting possibilities and seeing that you have several individuals battling for the high hand, and many 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 compete in Omaha Hi-Lo.