Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players often get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest value 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 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complex at the outset, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an amazing collection of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several individuals shooting for the high hand, as well as several battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.