Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players often get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be made, 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 lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems complicated at the outset, following a few hands you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an exciting array of betting choices and seeing that you have many individuals trying for the high, along with many shooting for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi/lo.