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 variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting happens. After all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants often get confused. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, 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 eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the start, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the basic nuances of the game simply enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an exciting range of wagering possibilities and because you have numerous players trying for the high, as well as a few battling for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.