Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants get confused. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical concept in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest value being made up of 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 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complicated initially, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi-low provides an exciting array of wagering choices and seeing that you have several players shooting for the high hand, along with many shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha hi-low.