Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. 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 variation, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi/lo begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers 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 get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same approach in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems complex at the start, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming collection of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have many individuals shooting for the high, along with many trying for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha hi low.