Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further round of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants can get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can 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, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst 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 eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
Although it seems difficult at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming collection of betting possibilities and because you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha hi-low.