Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where some players often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

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

A low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.

While it seems difficult at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game simply enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming array of wagering options and seeing that you have numerous players trying for the high hand, and a few battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha hi low.