Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players get baffled. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in nearly all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst 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 worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/low provides an amazing array of betting possibilities and because you have numerous players shooting for the high, along with many battling for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.