Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same concept in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated initially, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi lo provides an exciting assortment of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players trying for the high hand, along with several trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.