Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi/low starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants can get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical approach in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest value being 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 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complex at the start, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing range of betting choices and seeing that you have numerous individuals battling for the high, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.