Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players can get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems complex at the start, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have players 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 array of wagering choices and because you have numerous players shooting for the high, and several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.