Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players often get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being made up of 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 lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated at the outset, following a few rounds 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 such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha Hi-Lo provides an exciting collection of betting possibilities and seeing that you have several individuals shooting for the high, and several shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.