Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could 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, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in almost all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the outset, following a few hands you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as 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 offers an exciting range of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous individuals trying for the high hand, as well as a few battling for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.