Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi/lo begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
While it seems complicated initially, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting array of betting choices and seeing that you have many players battling for the high hand, and a few shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.