Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi-low starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants often get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize exactly three cards on 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 might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. 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 lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complicated at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to get the basic nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting collection of betting choices and because you have numerous players battling for the high, as well as several battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.
