Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of entrants can get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical approach in almost all poker games.

A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the worst 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 lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.

While it seems difficult at first, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of play easily enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming assortment of wagering possibilities and because you have several players battling for the high, as well as several trying for the low hand. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha Hi-Lo.