Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants often get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical approach in almost all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems complex at first, following a few hands you will be able to get the base subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing range of wagering choices and seeing that you have several individuals trying for the high hand, as well as many trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.