Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same approach in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming assortment of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high hand, and many shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha Hi-Lo.