Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players can get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems difficult initially, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the base subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi lo provides an overwhelming range of wagering options and because you have several individuals trying for the high, and many battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.