Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed 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 irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could 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 possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem difficult initially, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting collection of betting options and seeing that you have several players battling for the high, along with many battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha Hi-Lo.