Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants can get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming collection of wagering options and seeing that you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, and a few shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.