Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players can get flustered. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at first, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi low offers an overwhelming array of wagering possibilities and because you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, and several battling for the low hand. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.