Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players often get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. 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 exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical notion in nearly every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, 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 possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
Although it seems complex at the outset, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an exciting collection of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high, and several shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.