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 game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players often get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly 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 is the very same concept in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that 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 8 and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems complicated at first, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the base nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an amazing array of wagering options and seeing that you have several individuals shooting for the high hand, along with many battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi/lo.