Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is 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 game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants can get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low 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’s the same notion in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest 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 low hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem difficult initially, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play simply enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming range of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have many players shooting for the high, along with several trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.