Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players often get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting assortment of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several players shooting for the high hand, along with many battling for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi lo.