Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some players often get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems difficult at first, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an amazing assortment of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have many players trying for the high hand, along with several battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha hi lo.