Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in nearly all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complicated at first, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an amazing collection of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals trying for the high, and many battling for the low. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.