Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players often get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical approach in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complex at the outset, following a few rounds you will be able to get the basic subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an exciting range of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have several players shooting for the high hand, and several battling for the low hand. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.