Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest value 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 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, after a few rounds you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming range of betting possibilities and because you have many individuals battling for the high hand, and a few shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.