Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players can get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming assortment of wagering choices and seeing that you have several individuals shooting for the high, as well as a few trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha High-Low.