Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha hi/lo begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems difficult at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting array of betting options and because you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, and several battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.