Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi lo begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to 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’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems complicated at first, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting collection of betting possibilities and because you have many players shooting for the high, along with a few trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.