Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi/lo starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting ensues and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players often get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems complex at the start, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of play simply enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming collection of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals trying for the high, along with many trying for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.
