Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where some players often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in nearly every poker game.

A low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.

While it seems complicated at the outset, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an exciting collection of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several players battling for the high hand, as well as several trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.