Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha hi/low begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence 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 wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of players often get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use precisely 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 might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

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

A low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.

It may seem complicated at the outset, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming array of wagering options and seeing that you have several players shooting for the high, as well as many trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.