Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha hi low starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players often get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same approach in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When deciding on 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. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t 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 below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing array of betting options and seeing that you have many players trying for the high, as well as a few battling for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.