Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants often get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not 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 smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complex at the start, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of play easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi-low provides an exciting assortment of betting choices and seeing that you have several players trying for the high, along with many trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi lo.