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 is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more round of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in almost all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest being made up of 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 low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems complex at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of the game simply enough. Seeing as 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 hi lo offers an amazing range of betting possibilities and seeing that you have several players battling for the high hand, as well as several shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha High-Low.