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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where some players can get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

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

The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.

It may seem complex at the start, after a few hands you will be able to get the base nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing range of wagering possibilities and because you have several players trying for the high, as well as several shooting for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.