Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical concept in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as 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 lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem difficult initially, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming collection of wagering choices and because you have many individuals trying for the high hand, as well as a few trying for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.