Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi/low begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players often get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same approach in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems complicated at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming collection of betting possibilities and because you have numerous individuals trying for the high, as well as a few trying for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha hi lo.