Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s 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 invisible game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha/8 begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where some entrants get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in nearly all poker games.

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

It may seem complex at the start, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming collection of wagering options and because you have many players battling for the high, along with several shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi/low.