Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players can get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same notion in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha High-Low offers an amazing array of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several individuals battling for the high hand, along with several battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.