Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants can get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult initially, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha High-Low offers an exciting array of betting options and owing to the fact that you have many players trying for the high, along with many shooting 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 or better.