Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants often get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where 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. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical approach in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest value 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 eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem difficult at first, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play easily enough. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming range of wagering options and seeing that you have many individuals trying for the high, and many battling for the low. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi lo.