Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where some players often get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in nearly all poker games.

The lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the action. 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 worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.

Although it seems complicated at first, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the base subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming assortment of wagering options and seeing that you have numerous players battling for the high, along with many trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.