Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. After all the players have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further round of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players often get confused. 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 exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical approach in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 8 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 wins the whole pot.
While it seems complicated at the start, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming collection of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have numerous players trying for the high, and a few battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.