Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha hi-low starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers 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 get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, in which 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, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in almost all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might 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 lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems complex at first, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing array of wagering choices and seeing that you have many individuals shooting for the high, along with many shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.