Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular 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 just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further round of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a few entrants can get flustered. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical concept in nearly all poker games.

A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.

While it seems difficult initially, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental subtleties of the game easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming assortment of wagering options and because you have many individuals shooting for the high, and many battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.