Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi-low begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, 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 worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems difficult at the start, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming collection of betting options and owing to the fact that you have many individuals trying for the high, along with several battling for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.
