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’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players often get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical concept in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex at first, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many players battling for the high, along with a few shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.