Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players often get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card 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 best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might 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 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complex at first, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an amazing collection of betting options and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high hand, and several shooting for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.