Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi lo starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. After all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same notion in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play simply enough. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/low provides an amazing range of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high, as well as several trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.