Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha hi lo starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a few players get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same notion in just about all poker games.

A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be made, 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 low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.

While it seems complex initially, following a couple of rounds you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming array of wagering possibilities and because you have many individuals shooting for the high hand, along with many trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha hi-low.