Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha/8 begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular 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 best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. 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 lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t 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 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.
It may seem complicated at first, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi-low provides an exciting array of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have several individuals trying for the high, and a few battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha Hi-Lo.