Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of betting happens. After all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same approach in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest 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 low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing collection of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals shooting 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 8 or better.