Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex 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 chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi/lo starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players get baffled. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in almost every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at first, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of play easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming array of wagering choices and because you have numerous players shooting for the high, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.