Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi/lo begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants often get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same notion in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complex initially, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing range of betting options and because you have several players trying for the high, along with several trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.