Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha hi lo begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players often get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal 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 every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can 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 value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult initially, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play easily enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi low offers an overwhelming assortment of wagering choices and seeing that you have many individuals shooting for the high hand, and many trying for the low. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.