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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha hi lo starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of players can get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in nearly every poker game.

A low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.

It may seem complicated at the start, after a few hands you will be able to get the base nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming array of wagering possibilities and because you have numerous players trying for the high, and several trying for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.