Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. After all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical notion in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that 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 8 and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at first, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of play with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting assortment of betting possibilities and because you have numerous players battling for the high hand, and many battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
