Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi low starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players get baffled. Contrasted to 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 exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complex at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players betting 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 hi lo offers an amazing assortment of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have many players trying for the high, along with a few battling for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi/low.