Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi/low starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants can get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems difficult at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of the game simply enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing collection of betting options and owing to the fact that you have many players trying for the high hand, and a few battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.