Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi low begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest 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 eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems complicated at first, following a few rounds you will be able to get the base nuances of play simply enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming array of betting possibilities and seeing that you have several players battling for the high hand, as well as many battling for the low hand. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi/lo.