Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems difficult at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi lo offers an amazing array of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several players trying for the high hand, along with a few battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.