Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins 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 complex at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha High-Low offers an amazing range of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several individuals trying for the high, as well as a few trying 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 hi/lo.