Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. a further round of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in nearly all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complex at the start, after a few hands you will be agile enough to get the basic subtleties of play easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting assortment of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, and several shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.