Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi/low begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of wagering happens. After all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players often get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems complex at first, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming range of betting choices and seeing that you have many individuals shooting for the high, and several battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.