Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players can get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complex at first, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the fundamental subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting collection of betting options and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, along with a few shooting for the low. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha High-Low.