Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi low starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of betting ensues. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further round of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players often get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in almost all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complex at the start, after a few hands you will be able to get the base subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering 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 provides an exciting range of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, and a few battling for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.