Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt 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 often get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical notion in almost all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at first, following a couple of rounds 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 betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/low offers an exciting range of betting possibilities and because you have numerous players battling for the high, along with many battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.