Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical approach in almost every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated initially, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many individuals battling for the high, and several shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.