Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha hi lo starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering follows and then 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 a number of entrants often get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in just about all poker games.

The lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t 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 does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.

It may seem difficult at first, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the basic nuances of play easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting assortment of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have many players shooting for the high, and several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.