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 action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the start, after a few rounds you will be able to get the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing array of betting possibilities and because you have many individuals shooting for the high, as well as many trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.