Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst 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 worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
Although it seems difficult at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing collection of wagering choices and because you have many individuals battling for the high hand, as well as several shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.