Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants 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 number of players get confused. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no 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 just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in nearly all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complex initially, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of play simply enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha High-Low offers an amazing collection of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many individuals trying for the high hand, along with many trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi-low.