Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s 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 irrelevant game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same concept in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complex at the start, following a few hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game simply enough. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an amazing assortment of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, as well as several trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.