Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of players get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in almost all poker games.

A lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand wins the complete pot.

Although it seems complicated at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of play with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting collection of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have numerous individuals battling for the high, along with many battling for the low. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.