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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi/low starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players can get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same notion in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but really 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 made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not 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 takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems complex at first, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha High-Low provides an exciting array of betting possibilities and because you have many players shooting for the high hand, as well as several shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha High-Low.
