Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. After all the players have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem difficult initially, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game easily enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming range of betting options and because you have many players shooting for the high, and a few trying for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.
