Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has increased in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha hi/lo begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants can get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to get the basic subtleties of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting assortment of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have many players battling for the high hand, and a few shooting for the low. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha hi lo.