Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi/lo begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of the game simply enough. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/lo offers an overwhelming assortment of wagering options and because you have several players shooting for the high, and many trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.