Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. 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 obscure game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha hi/lo starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt 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 often get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two 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 exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
Although it seems complex at first, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting collection of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many individuals battling for the high, and many trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.