Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players often get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at first, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play simply enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting collection of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many players battling for the high, as well as many battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi/low.