Omaha Hi Lo: Basic Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It is 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 variation, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha hi lo starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. 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 exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not 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 lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated initially, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming range of wagering options and seeing that you have numerous players trying for the high, along with many shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.