Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players often get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since 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 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems difficult at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the basic subtleties of play easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an exciting collection of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have many individuals trying for the high, and several trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.