Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi/low starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When determining 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. Considering that straights and flushes don’t 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 below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complex at the start, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi-low offers an overwhelming assortment of betting options and owing to the fact that you have numerous players trying for the high, and a few shooting for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.