Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. a further round of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
While it seems difficult at the start, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting range of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have several individuals shooting for the high hand, as well as a few shooting for the low. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha High-Low.