Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. a further round of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t 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 low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complex initially, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of play simply enough. 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 once, Omaha/8 provides an amazing array of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several individuals trying for the high, as well as several shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi lo.