Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi/lo starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players often get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five 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 takes the whole pot.
Although it seems complicated initially, after a few hands you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an amazing assortment of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals trying for the high hand, as well as many trying for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.