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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha/8 begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where many entrants get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

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

A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.

While it seems difficult at first, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing range of betting choices and seeing that you have numerous individuals battling for the high hand, as well as a few battling for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.