Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi/low begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players often get confused. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complex initially, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an exciting array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many individuals trying for the high hand, and many battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.