Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of players can get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in nearly every poker game.

The low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not 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. Because straights and flushes don’t 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 below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.

While it seems complicated at the outset, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/low offers an overwhelming array of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have several players battling for the high hand, and a few shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.