Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded 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 follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players can get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical notion in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complex initially, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game simply enough. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming range of wagering options and seeing that you have numerous individuals battling for the high hand, and many trying for the low. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi-low.