Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha hi/low starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some players can get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in almost all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complex at the start, after a few hands you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of play simply enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an exciting array of betting options and owing to the fact that you have several individuals battling for the high hand, and a few battling for the low hand. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.