Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants can get baffled. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated at first, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting array of betting options and seeing that you have several individuals trying for the high hand, along with several shooting for the low. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi low.