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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha 8 or better begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. a further round of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where some entrants can get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in almost all poker games.

A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.

It may seem complex at the start, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/lo provides an exciting collection of wagering possibilities and because you have several individuals battling for the high, as well as many trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.