Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where many entrants often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two 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 "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in just about every poker game.

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

While it seems complex at the outset, after a few hands you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming assortment of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several players shooting for the high hand, as well as many trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.