Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi low starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in almost all poker games.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated initially, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the base subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi-low provides an amazing array of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several players trying for the high, along with several shooting for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi/lo.
