Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. 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 obscure game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the basic subtleties of play with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing assortment of betting options and because you have numerous players battling for the high hand, and a few battling for the low. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.