Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. 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 few entrants get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, 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 made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems complex initially, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting range of betting choices and seeing that you have numerous players battling for the high, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.