Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, 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, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low 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 is the same concept in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting assortment of betting possibilities and because you have several individuals trying for the high, and a few shooting for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.