Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where some entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in just about all poker games.

A low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.

Although it seems complex at the start, after a few hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of play with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/lo provides an exciting assortment of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, and many battling for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha Hi-Lo.