Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi-low begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complex at first, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have players 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 wagering options and seeing that you have several players shooting for the high hand, and several battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha hi lo.