Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha/8 begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants can get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi low offers an overwhelming array of wagering choices and because you have several players battling for the high hand, as well as many battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.