Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further round of wagering happens. After all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players often get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could 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 every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical concept in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complex at the outset, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of play simply enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an exciting array of betting options and owing to the fact that you have several players battling for the high, and a few 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 compete in Omaha hi/low.