Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
Although it seems complicated at the outset, following a few rounds you will be able to get the basic subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming collection of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players shooting for the high, as well as a few battling for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.