Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has increased in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants often get flustered. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical approach in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complex initially, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the base subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi-low offers an amazing range of betting possibilities and because you have several players trying for the high hand, and many battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi-low.