Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants get baffled. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that 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 below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complex initially, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/lo offers an overwhelming range of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have several individuals battling for the high, as well as a few trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.