Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complex at first, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of play easily enough. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an exciting assortment of betting options and owing to the fact that you have several individuals trying for the high hand, and a few shooting for the low. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.