Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It’s a game 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 expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha Hi-Lo starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players often get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in just about every poker game.
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 worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at first, following a couple of rounds you will be able to get the basic nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting array of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, as well as several shooting for the low. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.