Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players often get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is 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 approach in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting assortment of wagering options and because you have many players battling for the high, as well as a few battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.