Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi low starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at the outset, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing range of betting options and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high, as well as several battling for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.