Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi-low starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants can get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to 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 hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems complex initially, following a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi low offers an amazing collection of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several players battling for the high hand, as well as many battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha High-Low.