Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi lo begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further round of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players can get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower 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, etc. It is the identical notion in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem difficult at first, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi lo offers an amazing range of betting choices and seeing that you have many players trying for the high, and several battling for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha hi-low.