Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants often get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical concept in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
While it seems complex at the start, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/low offers an overwhelming array of betting options and because you have numerous individuals battling for the high hand, along with a few battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha Hi-Lo.