Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players often get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical concept in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at first, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of the game 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 the same time, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an exciting collection of betting choices and because you have many players trying for the high hand, as well as many shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha Hi-Lo.