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 variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.

Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of wagering happens. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of entrants get confused. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

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

The low hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five 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 available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.

Although it seems complicated at the start, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of the game simply enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha High-Low offers an amazing array of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have many individuals trying for the high, as well as several shooting for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.