Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. After all the players have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems difficult at first, following a few rounds you will be able to get the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming assortment of wagering choices and because you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, and several battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.