Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha hi/lo begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same approach in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
While it seems complex at the outset, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of play simply enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting array of betting possibilities and seeing that you have several players battling for the high hand, as well as many 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 participate in Omaha Hi-Lo.