Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering happens. Once all the players have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players 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 entrants often get confused. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from 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 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens 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 lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
Although it seems complicated initially, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental subtleties of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have players 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 amazing array of wagering choices and because you have several players shooting for the high, and many battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.