Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering follows in which players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in almost all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, 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 can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming array of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals trying for the high, as well as several battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.