Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further round of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants can get confused. Unlike 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 exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical concept in almost every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower 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 higher hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems complex initially, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting collection of wagering options and seeing that you have many players battling for the high hand, as well as many battling for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.