Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems complex at first, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi low offers an overwhelming array of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have several players battling for the high, along with many battling for the low hand. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.