Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so quickly.

Omaha hi/lo starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many players often get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in almost every poker game.

The low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that 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 lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.

While it seems complex at the start, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic subtleties of the game simply enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi/lo offers an exciting assortment of betting options and seeing that you have several players trying for the high, and many shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.