Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants often get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could 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 worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complex at first, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the basic subtleties of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting array of betting choices and because you have several individuals battling for the high hand, as well as a few trying for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.