Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering follows in which players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing assortment of wagering possibilities and because you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, and a few battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha hi lo.