Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many entrants can get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical approach in almost every poker game.

A lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.

While it seems complex at the start, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi-low offers an exciting collection of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, along with several battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.