Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need 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. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

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

A low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.

While it seems complicated at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming range of betting choices and seeing that you have many players trying for the high, and several shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.