Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated initially, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of the game simply enough. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing collection of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, along with a few battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha Hi-Lo.