Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players often get baffled. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical approach in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem difficult at first, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high hand, and a few battling for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi/lo.