Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha hi/lo begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where a few entrants get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in almost all poker games.

The low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.

It may seem complex at first, following a few hands you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming assortment of wagering options and because you have numerous individuals shooting for the high hand, as well as a few trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.