Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same concept in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex at first, following a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi/lo provides an overwhelming assortment of betting options and seeing that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high hand, as well as a few shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi lo.