Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting follows where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt 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 entrants often get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not 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 lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems difficult initially, following a couple of rounds you will be able to get the basic nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting collection of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have several individuals trying for the high, as well as a few trying for the low. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.