Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at first, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting range of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have numerous individuals battling for the high hand, along with several battling for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.