Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. After all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players can get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of the game easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha Hi-Lo provides an amazing array of wagering options and seeing that you have many individuals shooting for the high hand, along with a few battling for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.