Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower 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.
It may seem complex initially, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an amazing range of betting choices and because you have several players battling for the high hand, and a few trying for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.