Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi lo starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players often get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complex at first, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha High-Low provides an overwhelming range of betting possibilities and seeing that you have many individuals trying for the high, as well as many shooting for the low. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.