Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha hi lo starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players can get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use exactly three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card 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 is the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at first, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi lo offers an amazing range of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have many individuals battling for the high hand, and a few battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.