Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The players will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players often get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in almost all poker games.
The low hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
Although it seems complicated at first, following a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing assortment of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, as well as several trying for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.