Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha 8 or better begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a few entrants can get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in nearly every poker game.

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

It may seem complex at first, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances 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 Hi-Lo offers an overwhelming assortment of betting possibilities and seeing that you have several players battling for the high hand, as well as many trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi low.