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 variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action 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. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of wagering happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants can get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical concept in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not 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 low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complex at first, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/low provides an overwhelming collection of wagering choices and seeing that you have several players trying for the high hand, as well as a few battling for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha High-Low.