Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so quickly.

Omaha Hi-Lo begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players 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 many entrants can get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, 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 precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same notion in nearly all poker games.

The lower hand is more complicated, 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 put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.

It may seem complex at the start, after a few hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming assortment of wagering choices and because you have several players battling for the high hand, and several trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.