Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It is a game 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 grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest value being made up of 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 low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem difficult at first, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi low offers an exciting collection of betting options and because you have many individuals battling for the high hand, and many shooting for the low. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.