Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha hi lo starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a few entrants can get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical concept in almost every poker game.

The lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.

While it seems complicated at the start, after a few hands you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of the game simply enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing assortment of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals trying for the high hand, as well as several trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha hi/lo.