Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. 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 irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi/low begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same approach in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complicated initially, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of play simply enough. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing range of wagering choices and seeing that you have several players shooting for the high hand, and a few shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha hi low.