Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi/low starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems complicated initially, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting range of wagering choices and seeing that you have several players battling for the high hand, as well as many trying for the low. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.