Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players often get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same concept in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, 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 low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha High-Low provides an exciting range of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, and many trying for the low hand. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.