Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. a further round of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t 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 smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems complex at the outset, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an exciting collection of betting options and owing to the fact that you have several players shooting for the high hand, as well as a few battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.