Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of wagering happens. Once all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants get flustered. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can 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 lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complex at first, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an amazing array of wagering possibilities and because you have numerous individuals shooting for the high hand, and many battling for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.
