Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further round of betting ensues and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players often get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, 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 smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming array of betting possibilities and because you have many players battling for the high hand, and a few trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.