Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting ensues. After all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at first, after a few hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi-low provides an exciting array of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have many players trying for the high hand, along with many trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.