Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha/8 starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. a further round of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many players get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in nearly all poker games.

A low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.

Although it seems complex at the start, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the basic nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi/low provides an amazing collection of betting options and owing to the fact that you have many individuals shooting for the high, along with a few battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.