Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players can get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same approach in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems complex at first, following a few hands you will be able to get the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming assortment of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have several players battling for the high hand, and many shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.