Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players often get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low 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 do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated initially, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming collection of betting options and owing to the fact that you have several individuals shooting for the high, along with many shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.