Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The players will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants often get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might 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 everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha High-Low offers an exciting assortment of betting options and because you have many individuals trying for the high hand, and a few trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha hi low.