Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of betting happens. After all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players often get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical approach in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated at the start, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha hi lo offers an amazing assortment of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have numerous players trying for the high, and many trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi-low.