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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 regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha hi low starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The players will have to put together 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. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in nearly all poker games.

A low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.

It may seem complex at the start, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the base nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming assortment of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have several individuals battling for the high hand, along with a few battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.