Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some players can get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize precisely three cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complex at the outset, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play simply enough. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming array of wagering options and seeing that you have numerous players trying for the high hand, along with a few shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.