Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants can get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical notion in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five 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 lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting assortment of wagering options and seeing that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, and a few trying for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.
