Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use exactly three cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated at first, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha High-Low offers an overwhelming array of betting options and because you have numerous individuals trying for the high hand, and many battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.