Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants often get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
Although it seems complicated at the outset, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of play easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming array of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have several individuals battling for the high, along with many trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.