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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where some players can get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in almost every poker game.

The lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.

While it seems complicated initially, following a few rounds you will be able to get the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since 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 once, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an exciting range of betting choices and because you have many individuals battling for the high, as well as a few trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi lo.