Omaha Hi/Low: Basic Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi-low starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants get flustered. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems difficult at the outset, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play simply enough. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha High-Low provides an amazing assortment of betting options and owing to the fact that you have many players battling for the high, and a few battling for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.