Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi-low starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each 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 sequence of wagering happens. Once all the players have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical concept in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex initially, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the base subtleties of the game easily enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an exciting assortment of betting choices and because you have several players shooting for the high, as well as several trying 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 compete in Omaha hi-low.