Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi lo starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players can get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical approach in almost all poker games.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five 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 low hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
Although it seems complex at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an amazing range of betting choices and seeing that you have many individuals trying for the high hand, as well as many battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.