Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many players get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in nearly every poker game.

A low hand is more difficult, but really free’s 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 put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.

It may seem complicated at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to get the base nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi lo offers an exciting range of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have several players battling for the high hand, along with many battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.