Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players can get confused. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest being made up of 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 five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem difficult initially, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/low provides an exciting range of betting options and owing to the fact that you have many individuals battling for the high hand, along with a few trying for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha hi low.