Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants often get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the start, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of play simply enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an exciting collection of wagering possibilities and because you have numerous individuals trying for the high, and several shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
