Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi-low starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players can get baffled. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, following a few hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi low provides an exciting range of wagering choices and because you have several individuals trying for the high hand, as well as a few shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha hi/low.