Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 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 takes the entire pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, after a few rounds you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha High-Low provides an overwhelming collection of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have several players battling for the high hand, as well as a few trying for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi lo.