Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players often get confused. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems difficult at first, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi/lo offers an overwhelming assortment of wagering choices and because you have many players trying for the high hand, and several trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.