We spend a lot of time in this forum talking about Texas Hold'em. Sure, we have diversified in recent years to both limit and no-limit, but it's really mostly Hold'em. We are awash in Hold'em and in some real ways that game is killing all other games - at least in live card rooms.
This past weekend I had the chance to play $5/$10 limit "Omaha hi-lo split eight or better" for the first time in awhile. The game was at Trump Casino in Gary, Indiana. They rarely get an O/8 game going there but we got this one off the ground, and it was still going when I left. Even the dealers were doing a good job, which is tough for a room that rarely spreads the game.
The primary virtue of O/8 is that it's fun. That's the most important thing, of course. It's a great break from constant Texas Hold'em. If you can keep the game loose and keep the cranky rocks from running the game, it can be a hoot. How often in Hold'em do you get to crack a full house with your straight flush?
From a profitability point of view, O/8 can be a treasure trove. People with little Omaha experience are happy to sit down and try the game out. Hold'em players waiting for a seat will give it a try. Hey, you get the equivalent of 6 Hold'em starting hands - what a deal! A player with a modicum of Omaha/8 knowledge is at a huge advantage over many typical Hold'em players who sit down to try the game out. It's also easier to tell the Omaha/8 fish from the sharks. The guy who is betting/raising with only a low with three players in the hand stands out much more quickly than a correspondingly bad player in a Hold'em game.
Consider giving Omaha/8 a try. See if your card room will give it a try. At the very least, try it online where the games are plentiful and there are still plenty of fishy players.
To learn more
check out the wiki and be sure to read Buzz's thread linked at the bottom of the wiki entry.
Regards,
T