Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants can get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same concept in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of 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 five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated initially, following a few hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi-low provides an amazing collection of betting possibilities and because you have numerous players shooting for the high, along with several shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.