Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi/low starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical concept in almost every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest being made up of 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 lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems difficult initially, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing collection of wagering choices and seeing that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, and several trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.