Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting ensues. After all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants can get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same concept in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower 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’s no low hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of the game simply enough. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting assortment of betting possibilities and because you have numerous players trying for the high hand, along with several trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha hi/lo.