Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but favored 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 irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a few entrants can get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can 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, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in nearly every poker game.

A lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.

It may seem complex at the start, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the basic nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi low offers an overwhelming range of wagering options and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high, along with a few trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha High-Low.