Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of betting follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting ensues and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants can get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at first, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming range of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players trying for the high hand, and several shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.