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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha/8 begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering follows 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 the point where some players can get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in nearly all poker games.

A low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 lower 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 at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of play easily enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing collection of betting options and owing to the fact that you have several players battling for the high hand, along with several trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha Hi-Lo.