Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, 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 precisely two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can 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 lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi/lo offers an amazing collection of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have numerous individuals battling for the high hand, and many trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha hi-low.