Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi/low starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly three cards from 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 might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in almost all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that 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 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
While it seems complicated at the start, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting assortment of betting choices and seeing that you have many players trying for the high, along with a few shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.