Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more round of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants can get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really opens 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. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated initially, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing assortment of betting options and seeing that you have several individuals trying for the high hand, along with many battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.
