Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi/lo begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The players will need 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 can get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical approach in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low 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 worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming collection of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have several players shooting for the high, as well as several shooting for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.