Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants often get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems complex initially, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Seeing as 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 amazing assortment of wagering choices and seeing that you have many players battling for the high hand, as well as many battling for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha Hi-Lo.