Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex 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 primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting follows where players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players get confused. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in almost every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
Although it seems complicated at the outset, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing range of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many players trying for the high hand, as well as many trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha hi/low.