Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players often get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal 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 everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in almost every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems difficult at the outset, following a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an amazing range of wagering choices and seeing that you have several players shooting for the high, as well as a few shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.