Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems difficult at the outset, after a few hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi low offers an amazing assortment of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals battling for the high, as well as several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi low.