Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi/lo starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players often get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical approach in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complex initially, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming array of betting options and seeing that you have several individuals shooting for the high, and a few battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.