Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi/lo begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players can get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in almost every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, after a few rounds you will be able to get the basic nuances of play easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi/lo offers an amazing array of wagering choices and seeing that you have many players battling for the high, as well as a few battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.