Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi/lo starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of betting follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical notion in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at the outset, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering 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 exciting range of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several players trying for the high hand, as well as several trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.