Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players often get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming collection of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, along with several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi/low.