Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants can get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi low provides an overwhelming assortment of betting choices and because you have several individuals shooting for the high, along with a few trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.