Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players can get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting collection of betting options and owing to the fact that you have many players shooting for the high hand, as well as several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi/low.