Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi/low starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical notion in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem difficult initially, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an exciting assortment of betting options and owing to the fact that you have many players battling for the high hand, as well as a few battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.