Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. After all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants can get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in almost all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
While it seems complicated at first, after a few hands you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have several individuals trying for the high hand, as well as a few shooting for the low. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.