Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players can get confused. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize exactly three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems complex at the start, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi low offers an amazing array of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have numerous players trying for the high hand, and a few battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.