Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

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

The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.

While it seems difficult initially, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the base nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an exciting array of wagering choices and seeing that you have many individuals shooting for the high hand, along with a few trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.