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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players will have to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a few entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to 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 best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in just about every poker game.

A lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.

It may seem complex at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an exciting assortment of betting options and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high hand, along with several shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha hi low.