Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi/lo begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players often get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same approach in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, 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 worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
Although it seems complex at first, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi/lo provides an overwhelming range of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have several players shooting for the high, along with several trying for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.