Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens at which point 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 can get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same approach in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being 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 low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complex initially, after a few hands you will be able to get the base subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming range of betting options and seeing that you have several players shooting for the high, as well as many shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha Hi-Lo.