Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players can get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult at first, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an exciting range of betting choices and because you have several players shooting for the high, as well as a few shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.