Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha hi-low starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering ensues where players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants can get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems complicated at first, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an exciting collection of betting options and because you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, as well as several shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.