Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering ensues where players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players can get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal 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 every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical concept in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems complicated at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of the game easily enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/lo offers an amazing assortment of betting possibilities and because you have many individuals trying for the high, and a few battling for the low. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.