Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi lo starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players often get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same concept in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest value 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 lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complex at the start, following a few hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals 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 array of betting choices and because you have many players battling for the high hand, and a few battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.