Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha hi-low begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a few players get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in just about every poker game.

A lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.

Although it seems difficult at the start, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming array of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have several players trying for the high hand, along with several battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.