Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players can get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can 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 every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same approach in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, 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 can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at the outset, following a few rounds you will be able to get the basic subtleties of play with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing range of betting options and because you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, as well as many shooting for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.