Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. 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 obscure game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players can get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest 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 just about all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem difficult initially, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha Hi-Lo provides an amazing range of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several individuals shooting for the high, along with many battling 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.