Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi/lo starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants can get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest 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 lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.
While it seems complicated at the outset, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi low offers an exciting range of wagering choices and because you have numerous players trying for the high, and a few battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.