Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha Hi-Lo starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same approach in almost all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens 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 being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the base subtleties of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an exciting range of wagering options and because you have many individuals shooting for the high hand, along with several battling for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.
