Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha hi/lo begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants often get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in almost all poker games.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems difficult at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game easily enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting assortment of betting possibilities and because you have many individuals battling for the high, and several shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha Hi-Lo.