Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi/lo starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, following a few hands you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of play simply enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing assortment of betting choices and because you have many individuals trying for the high hand, as well as many battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.