Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players can get baffled. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same approach in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five 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 complete pot.
Although it seems difficult at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi lo offers an exciting assortment of betting options and because you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, as well as many shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.