Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as 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 smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
While it seems complex at first, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi/lo offers an overwhelming collection of wagering options and because you have several individuals battling for the high, as well as a few trying for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.