Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players often get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in nearly every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but certainly 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 put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many individuals shooting for the high hand, as well as a few trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha Hi-Lo.