Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complicated at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming array of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several players trying for the high hand, and many battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi-low.