Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The players will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants often get flustered. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical approach in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest 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 lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems difficult at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi-low offers an amazing array of betting options and because you have numerous individuals trying for the high, and a few trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.