Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi lo starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems complex at the start, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting range of betting options and because you have several players shooting for the high, as well as many shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.