Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha/8 begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of entrants can get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

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

A low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.

It may seem complex at the start, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of play with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an amazing assortment of wagering choices and seeing that you have many players battling for the high, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi-low.