Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi/lo starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting 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 the point where some players often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complex at the start, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi low offers an overwhelming collection of wagering choices and seeing that you have several individuals battling for the high, as well as many battling for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha hi/low.