Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated 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 main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants often get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in almost all poker games.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the basic nuances of play easily enough. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi/lo offers an amazing array of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals battling for the high, along with many shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.