Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants often get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same notion in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult at the start, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing array of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, and many shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi lo.