Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants can get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complex at first, after a few rounds you will be able to get the base subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an amazing array of betting possibilities and because you have numerous individuals trying for the high hand, along with a few shooting for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha High-Low.