Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues where players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt 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. Another sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players often get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same notion in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest 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 lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems complicated at the outset, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/lo provides an amazing collection of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players trying for the high hand, and many battling for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.