Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi lo begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. After all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players can get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in nearly all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complicated at first, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental subtleties of the game easily enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an exciting array of betting options and because you have many players trying for the high hand, and many battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.