Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players often get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems complicated at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be able to get the base nuances of the game simply enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting assortment of betting choices and because you have several players shooting for the high, and several trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.