Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants can get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not 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 eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems complicated at first, after a few hands you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha Hi-Lo provides an overwhelming array of betting options and because you have several individuals shooting for the high, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.