Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi/lo begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players often get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical concept in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be made, 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 lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting array of betting possibilities and seeing that you have several players battling for the high, and many trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi lo.