Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. 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 invisible game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha Hi-Lo starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many entrants often get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in just about every poker game.

The low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out 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 A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand wins the complete pot.

Although it seems complicated at first, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting range of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players shooting for the high, as well as several battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi-low.