Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.

Omaha/8 starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of entrants often get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in almost all poker games.

The low hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.

While it seems complicated at the start, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing array of betting choices and because you have numerous individuals shooting for the high hand, as well as a few shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha hi-low.