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 game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha Hi-Lo starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants often get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in almost all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems complicated initially, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting collection of betting possibilities and because you have several individuals trying for the high, and many battling for the low hand. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.