Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of betting ensues at which point 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 the point where a few players can get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest 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 low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi-low provides an overwhelming array of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several players battling for the high, and many shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.