Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi/low begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems complicated at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the basic subtleties of play with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an amazing collection of betting options and because you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, as well as several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.