Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible variation, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The players will have to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players often get baffled. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 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 hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult at the start, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi/lo offers an exciting range of wagering options and seeing that you have several individuals trying for the high hand, as well as a few battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.