Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha hi low starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where many entrants get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in almost all poker games.

The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.

It may seem complicated at the start, after a few hands you will be able to get the base subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi lo offers an overwhelming range of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have several players trying for the high hand, as well as several shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.