Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players get confused. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’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, no less. Contrary to regular 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 everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in almost all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest 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 worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult at the outset, following a few hands you will be able to get the basic nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming range of wagering options and because you have several players battling for the high hand, as well as several trying for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.
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