Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players often get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical approach in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complicated at the start, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of play simply enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/lo provides an amazing array of betting possibilities and seeing that you have many players trying for the high hand, along with many trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha High-Low.