Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal 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 best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical notion in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
While it seems difficult at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting assortment of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have many players battling for the high, and many battling for the low. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha hi low.