Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of wagering happens. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players can get confused. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems complex at first, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of play with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi low offers an overwhelming collection of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have many individuals shooting for the high, and a few trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha Hi-Lo.