Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where some entrants often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in nearly every poker game.

A low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.

Although it seems difficult at the start, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing assortment of wagering choices and seeing that you have several individuals shooting for the high, as well as many trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.