Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players often get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on 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 can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same approach in almost every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming array of wagering options and because you have numerous players battling for the high hand, along with a few trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
