Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha hi/lo starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where some entrants can get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical notion in nearly every poker game.

The lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.

It may seem complex at the start, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of the game easily enough. 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 seeing that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, and several battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.