Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players can get flustered. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same approach in just about every poker game.
A 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 could be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems difficult initially, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi-low provides an amazing array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many individuals shooting for the high hand, and a few trying for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.