Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It is 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 obscure variation, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants can get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complex at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be able to get the base nuances of play easily enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an amazing range of wagering options and because you have numerous players trying for the high, along with many battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.