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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more round of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where some entrants get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best 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 lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.

Although it seems difficult at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an amazing range of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players trying for the high, and many trying for the low. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.