Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at first, following a few rounds you will be able to get the base subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing range of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have many individuals trying for the high hand, and several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.