Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of betting follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in almost all poker games.
A lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of the game simply enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an amazing range of betting choices and because you have several players trying for the high hand, along with a few shooting for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.