Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha hi lo starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants can get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems complicated at first, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming assortment of wagering choices and because you have numerous players battling for the high hand, along with a few shooting for the low. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.