Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some players get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in nearly all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems complex at the outset, after a few rounds you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha High-Low offers an exciting collection of wagering possibilities and because you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, and a few battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.