Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but popular 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 irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. After 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 flipped. The players will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players can get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha High-Low offers an amazing assortment of wagering possibilities and because you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, as well as many trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.