Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players can get confused. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike 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 best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same notion in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest 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 lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult at the start, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting assortment of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.