Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players can get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complex at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the basic nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing range of betting options and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, along with many battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.