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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where many players often get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical concept in just about every poker game.

The lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest 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 five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.

Although it seems difficult at the start, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play simply enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming array of wagering options and seeing that you have several individuals trying for the high, along with a few trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.