Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so quickly.

Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where a few entrants can get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in just about every poker game.

A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.

It may seem complicated at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing assortment of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, and a few trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.