Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants can get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated at the start, after a few hands you will be able to get the base nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing collection of wagering choices and because you have many players trying for the high hand, along with a few battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha Hi-Lo.