Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants can get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in just about all poker games.
A low 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 worst hand that could 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 worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting assortment of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high, as well as many trying for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.