Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha Hi-Lo starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players can get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal 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 is the best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems difficult at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming range of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous players shooting for the high, along with several shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.