Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some players often get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi lo offers an amazing assortment of wagering options and because you have several individuals trying for the high hand, and many battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.