Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting happens. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players can get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, 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 could be put together, with the lowest value 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 low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem difficult initially, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha Hi-Lo provides an exciting assortment of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several players trying for the high, as well as several trying for the low. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.