Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha hi-low starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of players get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal 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 strongest possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in almost every poker game.

The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being made up of 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 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.

It may seem complex at the start, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting collection of betting choices and seeing that you have many individuals trying for the high, along with many trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.