Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting ensues and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need 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 baffled. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in almost all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult at first, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an amazing assortment of betting choices and seeing that you have numerous players trying for the high, as well as a few trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.