Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players often get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same approach in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha hi-low offers an amazing array of betting choices and because you have many individuals shooting for the high hand, and several battling for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.