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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The players 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. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. 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 just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in nearly every poker game.

A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.

It may seem difficult initially, after a few hands you will be agile enough to get the basic 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 being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an amazing range of betting options and because you have many players trying for the high, as well as many trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.