Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting happens. After all the players have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a few entrants often get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in nearly every poker game.

A low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be made, 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 lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.

While it seems complicated at first, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/low offers an exciting assortment of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, as well as several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.