Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same approach in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
Although it seems difficult at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi low offers an amazing array of betting choices and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high hand, as well as a few battling for the low. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha High-Low.