Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/low provides an exciting assortment of betting options and because you have many individuals battling for the high hand, and several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi lo.