Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complicated at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming array of betting choices and because you have numerous players battling for the high, and many trying for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.