Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi/lo begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants often get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming range of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several players shooting for the high hand, as well as several battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.