Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha hi lo begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The players will need 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 Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two 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 strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complicated initially, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming range of betting choices and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high, as well as several battling for the low hand. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi/low.