Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of players can get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in nearly all poker games.

A low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being made up of 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 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.

While it seems difficult at first, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting range of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, and many battling for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.