Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players can get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular 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 best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same approach in nearly all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the complete pot.
While it seems complex initially, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting range of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have many players shooting for the high, and a few trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.