Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha 8 or better begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further round of wagering happens. After all the players have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where some entrants get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in almost all poker games.

The lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, 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 smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.

Although it seems complicated at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the basic nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an exciting assortment of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players trying for the high, as well as many trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi lo.