Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where some entrants often get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in almost all poker games.

The lower 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 might be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.

Although it seems complex at the start, following a few hands you will be able to get the basic subtleties of the game simply enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/low offers an amazing assortment of betting options and seeing that you have several players battling for the high hand, and several battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.