Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It’s 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 variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players get flustered. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems difficult at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing assortment of wagering choices and because you have several players battling for the high, as well as many trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi/low.