Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants can get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same notion in almost every poker game.
The low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could 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 worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.
While it seems complicated initially, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing assortment of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several players trying for the high, as well as several shooting for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.