Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants often get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest 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 lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems difficult at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play simply enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing assortment of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many players battling for the high, and several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.