Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some players can get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical approach in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. 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 whole pot.
Although it seems complex at the start, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/lo offers an exciting collection of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players trying for the high hand, and many battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.