Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players get confused. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, 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 lowest value hand possible. The low 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 is no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems complex at the start, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of play with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an amazing range of wagering choices and because you have several players shooting for the high hand, and many shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.