Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of wagering happens. After all the players have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players can get baffled. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical concept in almost all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complicated at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to get the base nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an exciting assortment of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players trying for the high hand, and a few battling for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.
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