Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players can get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might 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 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at the outset, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi/lo provides an overwhelming array of wagering choices and because you have numerous players trying for the high hand, and many trying for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.