Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants can get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same notion in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complex at the start, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the basic subtleties of play simply enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/low provides an exciting collection of betting possibilities and because you have many players trying for the high, and several shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha hi lo.