Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi/low begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants can get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as 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 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult at the start, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting range of betting choices and seeing that you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, along with a few battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.