Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering happens. Once all the players have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants often get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same notion in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play with ease. Since you have individuals 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 collection of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have several players trying for the high, as well as several 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 or better.